Gianluca Iacobellis, MD PHD
EDUCATION
Fellowship: Cardiovascular Obesity Research and Management Department of Medicine, McMaster University, ON, Canada
Fellowship: Centre for Human, Nutrition, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Centre of Dallas, TX, USA
PhD: University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy
Residency in Endocrinology: University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy
Fellowship: Centrum for Metabolism & Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
MD: University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Gianluca Iacobellis is Professor of Clinical Medicine, Endocrinology, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, and Director of the University of Miami Hospital Diabetes Service. Prof Iacobellis is a physician-scientist, M.D., Ph.D. with a full international training in endocrinology and strong research and clinical expertise in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. A native of Rome, Italy, Prof Iacobellis received his MD degree cum laude in 1994 from the University of Roma, La Sapienza; he was a Research Fellow at the Centrum for Metabolism & Endocrinology, Karolinska University, Stockholm, Sweden in 1999; he became Specialist in Endocrinology in 2000 and obtained his PhD in Endocrinology, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders in 2004. In 2004, Dr Iacobellis was then an invited Post-doctoral Clinical Research Fellow at the Center for Human Nutrition, South-Western Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, USA. In 2005 he moved to Canada as Clinical Research Fellow in the Cardiovascular Obesity Research & Management Department, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Since 2006 to May 2010 Prof Iacobellis was Associate Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University and Director of Bariatric Endocrinology at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In 2010 he accepted an offer from the University of Miami, FL, USA. From 2010 to 2013 he was Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Miami, Division of Endocrinology, and Director of Diabetes Clinic at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami.
RESEARCH INTEREST
Prof Iacobellis is considered the world-wide leading expert in the epicardial fat, a new cardiovascular risk factor. Prof Iacobellis pioneered the research on the epicardial adipose tissue. He proposed and validated a simple ultrasound technique to measure the epicardial fat thickness, a new tool in both clinical and research setting. His studies indicate the active role of epicardial fat in coronary artery and metabolic diseases. Presently, Prof Iacobellis is exploring the potential of epicardial fat as brown fat and its unique transcriptsome. He is principal investigator of several funded clinical trials on emerging diabetes/obesity pharmacotherapy targeting the epicardial fat. Prof Iacobellis has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and 10 textbooks. His research has been published in high rank journals, such as Nature Cardiovascular Clinical Practice, Trends of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Clinical of Endocrinology and Metabolism, American Journal of Cardiology, Obesity.