Fellow Spotlight: Ivan Kuznetsov, MD, PhD

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Ivan Kuznetsov, MD, PhD, moved with his family to Russia and Austria before settling in Raleigh, N.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, then earned his PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his medical degree at the Perelman School of Medicine.

His dissertation developed novel computational and optogenetic tools to perturb and read-out subcellular signaling cascades. His research has since expanded to understanding how key immune cell migration within whole organ systems, such as the heart, help drive pathogenesis and disease. He has also studied machine learning in point of care ultrasound, and outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with and without use of Impella.

Dr. Kuznetsov chose UCSF for fellowship because of its outstanding immunology program and its expertise in interrogating single cells within the heart. He plans to become a physician-scientist who leads his own cardio-immunology lab to better understand how the interplay between the heart and the immune system contribute to heart failure. His hobbies include running, lifting weights, and exploring San Francisco’s restaurant scene with his wife, Kristina Li, PhD, a bioengineering researcher.