Francis Alenghat

Francis Alenghat is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine-Cardiology at the University of Chicago. His research bridges macrophage biology, inflammatory pathways, and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on atherosclerosis and integrin-mediated mechanotransduction. Dr. Alenghat combines clinical expertise in cardiovascular medicine with translational research to uncover mechanisms linking inflammation to cardiovascular health.

• Education: S.B. in Engineering (Harvard College), Ph.D. in Biophysics (Harvard Graduate School), M.D. (Harvard Medical School)

Research Interests encompass:

• Macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis
• Integrin signaling and cytoskeletal dynamics
• Extracellular matrix biology in vascular disease
• AI-driven cardiovascular risk stratification tools
• Lipid-lowering therapies and plaque characterization
• Inflammatory biomarkers in heart failure

His selected publications highlight work on

• mechanotransduction in macrophages (2021-2024)
• AI applications for cardiovascular diagnostics (2021)
• clinical trial data generalizability (2019)

Scientific Awards include the Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellowship, Thomas W. Smith Fellowship, and Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC). Dr. Alenghat has secured NIH funding for projects like "Determinants of Regulatory Macrophage Function in Coronary Artery Disease" (R03HL154292, 2020-2022). His lab employs techniques such as

• mouse models of atherosclerosis
• immunohistochemistry
• quantitative confocal microscopy

to investigate mechanistic links between inflammation and cardiovascular disease, mentoring future physicians-scientists toward improved clinical outcomes.