Rate My Professor Rajesh Katare

Professor Rajesh Katare serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Otago. Originating from Chennai, India, he completed his schooling there before obtaining his MBBS from the University of Mysore. His PhD, earned at Kochi University in Japan, ignited his interest in the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases. Post-PhD, he worked as a Lecturer in Physiology at Kochi University, concentrating on cardiovascular molecular biology. In 2007, he transitioned to the University of Bristol as a Research Fellow, broadening his investigations into molecular alterations driving heart disease in diabetes. Joining the University of Otago in 2012, he progressed to Associate Professor before his promotion to full Professor and appointment as Head of Department in January 2023. His career trajectory reflects a commitment to translational research bridging fundamental science with clinical applications for diabetes-related cardiovascular conditions.

Leading the Katare Lab, Professor Katare's research centers on the molecular underpinnings of cardiovascular complications in diabetes, including the pathological roles of microRNAs in diabetic cardiomyopathy, circulating microRNAs as biomarkers for early cardiovascular diagnosis, suicidal autophagy in diabetic hearts, and nanoparticle-mediated RNA delivery for cardiovascular therapy. The lab also explores therapies for diabetic ulcers and tissue engineering for cardiac regeneration. His team has garnered significant funding, such as the Health Research Council of New Zealand Explorer Grant (2022–2024), MBIE Smart Idea Project Grant (2022–2025), Heart Foundation NZ Small Project Grant (2023–2024), and prior support from Otago Medical Research Foundation, Lottery Health Board, and international sources including British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK. Notable publications encompass highly cited works like "Transplantation of human pericyte progenitor cells improves the repair of infarcted heart through activation of an angiogenic program involving micro-RNA-132" (Nature Medicine, 2011), "Human adult vena saphena contains perivascular progenitor cells endowed with clonogenic and proangiogenic potential" (Nature Protocols, 2010), and recent contributions such as "Exosomal microRNAs in diabetic heart disease" (Cardiovascular Diabetology, 2022) and editorship of "Cardiomyocytes: Methods and Protocols" (Springer, 2024). With over 100 research publications, he delivered his Inaugural Professorial Lecture, "A Roller Coaster Journey through the Molecules of the Heart," in November 2025, underscoring his impact in stem cell therapies, microRNAs, and cardiac regeneration.