Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Medina’s research is aimed at elucidating mechanisms driving genetic control of cardiometabolic disease risk and response to treatment, in particular variation in the efficacy and adverse effects of statins. Current studies are focused on the use of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a cohort with comprehensive longitudinal electronic health record information to model genetic factors underlying the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and the diabetogenic effect of statins, a class of cholesterol lowering drugs. Molecular and genetic insights are gleaned through the integration of genomic data, cellular phenotypes, and clinical information from the iPSC donors, with findings functionally and physiologically validated using cellular and animal models.
