Kenneth P. Roos

Kenneth P. Roos, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor Emeritus (on recall) in the Department of Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. He holds a BS in Applied Physics (UC San Diego, 1971), MS in Biology (San Diego State, 1974), and PhD in Zoology (UC Davis, 1978). His research focuses on cardiac physiology, leveraging rodent models to study heart failure, transgenic diseases, and translational therapies. As director of the UCLA Mouse Physiology Core Lab, he pioneered techniques like echocardiography and metabolic testing to evaluate cardiovascular function.

• Education:
  • AB in Applied Physics & Information Sciences, UC San Diego (1971)
  • MS in Biology, San Diego State University (1974)
  • PhD in Zoology, UC Davis (1978)

Research Interests: Translational cardiac function, sodium-calcium exchanger dynamics, progenitor cell therapies post-myocardial infarction, and circadian regulation effects. His lab evaluates disease models ranging from HIV cardiomyopathy to muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s, with recent focus on tobacco’s cardiovascular impacts.

• Awards:
  • 2011 Excellence in Medical Education Award
  • 2003 FAHA Fellow
  • 1985 Crump Engineering Award

Teaching and service: Managed the Physiology teaching lab (1990–2015), taught medical/dental students, and directed the Mouse Physiology Core Lab (1998–present). Retired in 2015 but returned to continue his roles in 2025.