Team

Our Labs

Dr. Paul A. Iaizzo has been at the University of Minnesota since 1990, performing research and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses. In 1997, Dr. Iaizzo and his coworkers began working on large mammalian isolated heart models, and thus the Visible Heart® Laboratories were created in collaboration with Medtronic. Today, these labs are a premiere place to perform translational systems physiology research which ranges from cellular and tissue studies to organ and whole body investigations. The Visible Heart® Laboratories embody a creative atmosphere which is energized by some of the best and brightest students at the University. Our lab staff has over 100 years of collective research experience and functions as a highly efficient and productive team.

Staff

Current Staff

John cole

John Brigham, MILS  
Heart Library Curator  
cole0882@umn.edu

Kara Heinle

Kara Heinle, BAA, MA 
Lab Coordinator  
612-624-3959  
heinl044@umn.edu

Rachel Nelson

Rachel Nelson, BA, RDCS  
Researcher 1  
nels7604@umn.edu

Samanta Toczyl

Samanta Toczyl  
Researcher 1  
toczy004@umn.edu

Weston

Weston Upchurch, MS  
Researcher 3  
612-626-3956  
wupchurc@umn.edu

gary

Gary Williams, BCpE  
Applications Programmer  
612-624-3161  
willi067@umn.edu

Extended Staff

Andrew Boelter

Andrew Boelter

David Buyck

David Buyck

Erik

Erik Donley

Jeeho Hong

Jeeho Hong

Monica

Monica Mahre

Adjunct Assistant Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows

Adjunct Assistant Professors

Michael Eggen

Michael Eggen, PhD 
Sr. Research Manager- Cardiac Implantables Research and Technology, Medtronic

Alexander Hill

Alexander Hill, PhD 
Sr Product Development Program Director at Medtronic

Timothy Laske

Timothy Laske, PhD
Vice President of Research and Business Development - Medtronic AF Solutions

Nicholas Skadsberg

Nicholas Skadsberg, PhD
Sr. Commercial Marketing Director - Brady at Medtronic

Postdoctoral Fellows

Joerg Reifart

Jörg Reifart, MD
Postdoctoral associate
reifa001@umn.edu

Enrique Vergara Escudero

Enrique Vergara Escudero, MD
Postdoctoral associate
everesc8@umn.edu

Doctoral Students
Michael Bielecki

Michael Bielecki 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
biele039@umn.edu

John Carney

John Carney 
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology 
carne115@umn.edu

Amanda DeVos

Amanda DeVos 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
devos014@umn.edu

Neal Duongf

Neal Duong 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742 
duong148@umn.edu

Masha Gundershaug

Masha Gundershaug 
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology 
iasso001@umn.edu

Kayla Molina

Kayla Molina
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
molin459@umn.edu
 

Ryan Nadybal

Ryan Nadybal 
Biomedical Engineering 
612-624-8742
nadyb001@umn.edu

Weston

Weston Upchurch 
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
612-626-3956 
wupchurc@umn.edu

James Villar-Mead

James Villar-Mead
Biomedical Engineering
612-624-8742
villa679@umn.edu

Master Students
Erika Casal

Erika Casal
Biomedical Engineering
casal056@umn.edu

Nathan Huntley

Nathan Huntley
Mechanical Engineering
huntl086@umn.edu

Madeline Wethington

Madeline Wethington
Biological Sciences
wethi008@umn.edu

Volunteers, Undergrad, Directed Research
Sam Belding

Sam Belding
Biomedical Engineering
beldi005@umn.edu

Jack Burt

Jack Burt
Medical Student
burt0368@umn.edu

Emily Chavez

Emily Chavez
Human Physiology
chave376@umn.edu

Hanna Duque

Hanna Duque
Human Physiology
valle170@umn.edu

Alexander Gherciuc

Alexander Gherciuc
Biochemistry
gherc002@umn.edu

Maya Kittelson

Maya Kittelson
Biomedical Engineering
kitte143@umn.edu

Nick Larson

Nick Larson
Human Physiology
lars6943@umn.edu

Cindy Li

Cindy Li
Human Physiology
li002416@umn.edu

Camille Mahabadi

Camille Mahabadi
Biomedical Engineering
mahab023@umn.edu

Samantha Niehaus

Samantha Niehaus
Biology
nieha029@umn.edu

Mohammed Omer

Mohammed Omer
Human Physiology
omer0030@umn.edu

Devna Panda

Devna Panda
Biomedical Engineering
panda057@umn.edu

Erik Polsfut

Erik Polsfut
Human Physiology
polsf010@umn.edu

Maximilian Sebion Calvesio

Maximilian Sebion Calvesio
Human Physiology
sebio006@umn.edu

Audrey Wethington

Audrey Wethington
Biology
wethi009@umn.edu

Kaw Zan

Kaw Zan
Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
zan00003@umn.edu