Luis Fernando Santana, Ph.D., FAHA
Vice Dean for Basic Sciences
Chair, Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology
Interim Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Luis Fernando Santana, Ph.D., FAHA, is the inaugural Vice Dean for Basic Sciences, professor and Arline Miller Rolkin Endowed Chair in Physiology and Membrane Biology, and the Interim Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.
Santana also serves as co-director of the Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD) program. The goal of the ARC-MD program is to provide medical students with the foundational skills and professional development that promote a successful career as a physician-scientist. The program also provides students with research and career mentorship, unique experiences and curriculum, and community engagement within a supportive longitudinal learning community.
His multidisciplinary approach to science involves state-of-the-art biophysical, electrophysiological, imaging, cellular, molecular, and computational approaches. Research in Santana’s lab focuses on the mechanisms regulating excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle.
Santana’s research has been published in numerous scientific journals, including Science, Nature, and other nationally and internationally recognized publications.
In his role as Vice Dean for Basic Sciences, Santana is implementing a vision for greater excellence, more visibility, additional recognition, and strategic growth for the Basic Sciences.