Professor and Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Houston, Texas, United States
Dr. Cooke trained in Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and obtained a Ph.D. in Physiology there. Subsequently, he became a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and then Stanford University where he was Professor and Associate Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute until his recruitment to the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI) in July 2013.
Dr. Cooke chairs the Department of Cardiovascular Science which generates fundamental insights that transform cardiovascular care. The scientific effort in angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, vascular regeneration, and cardiomyocyte function are carried out by faculty using a range of molecular, cellular, physiological, bioinformatics tools and technologies. The Department also provides the infrastructure for about 200 industry-sponsored and investigator initiated trials in cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Cooke directs the Center for RNA Therapeutics, which has developed methods for the synthesis, purification, validation, lyophilization, and delivery of mRNA, and makes RNA constructs for investigators world-wide. Dr. Cooke explores the use of mRNA encoding human telomerase to reverse senescence and to improve cell therapies. His regenerative medicine research is funded by the NIH, NASA, BARDA, AHA, CEPI, CPRIT and industry. He has published > 500 research papers, reviews and patents (>39,000 citations; h index = 104; Scopus 3-17-24); was named an Outstanding Inventor of 2015 by the Office of Technology Transfer at Stanford University;was elected to the National Academy of Inventors in 2019; and received the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020. His Center for RNA Therapeutics received the 2021 Innovation Award from the Houston Business Journal; the 2021 Best Academic Team Research, Vaccine Industry Excellence Award, at the World Vaccine Congress; the 2022 Fire Award, Houston Business Journal, Top Health Care and Life Science Innovators; and was chosen in 2023 to provide a novel RNA vaccine platform for the global vaccine effort of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Initiative.
SPOTLIGHT: Current & Future RNA Therapies for Lipids & Cardiovascular Disease
Saturday, September 21, 2024
4:00 PM – 4:08 PM CT