George A. Porter

George A. Porter, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Pediatrics, Cardiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He holds the Rhea and Raymond White Professorship in Pediatric Cardiology and serves as Chief of the Department of Pediatrics, Cardiology. Additionally, he maintains joint appointments as Professor in the Department of Medicine, Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. Dr. Porter is actively engaged in clinical care, research, and teaching at the University of Rochester Medical Center, with patients rating him highly (4.8/5 stars).

Dr. Porter earned his MD and PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1994 and 1993 respectively, following undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame. He completed pediatric training at Yale University, including internship (1994-1995), residency (1995-1997), and fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology (1997-2000).

His research laboratory investigates cardiac development mechanisms with emphasis on mitochondrial roles in cardiac myocytes. Using mouse models, his team discovered that mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) closure between early and mid-embryonic periods triggers mitochondrial maturation, activates oxidative phosphorylation, and reduces oxidative stress, signaling further myocyte differentiation. Recent work extends these findings to neonatal hearts, showing PTP closure enhances cardiac function. Dr. Porter also leads the University of Rochester site for the NIH Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium, which has enrolled over 10,000 congenital heart disease patients for genetic studies.

Analysis of Dr. Porter's recent publications reveals an expanding research scope from basic mitochondrial biology to genomic approaches and neurodevelopmental outcomes in congenital heart disease. His work increasingly integrates machine learning with multi-omics data to understand genetic mechanisms and predict clinical outcomes, while maintaining focus on mitochondrial regulation of cardiac development and function.

• Mentor of the Year Award (2018)
• Ruth A. Lawrence Academic Faculty Service Award in Research (2015)
• Second place, Basic Cardiovascular Science Poster Competition (2008)
• The Mae Gailani Junior Faculty Award (2004)
• AHA Travel Award to the 1999 Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference

Dr. Porter's research has been funded by the Charles H. Hood Foundation, Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation, American Heart Association, NIH, Pfizer, Strong Children's Research Center, and University of Rochester institutes. As Chief of Pediatric Cardiology and site PI for the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium, he mentors numerous trainees and collaborates internationally. His laboratory is embedded within the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute ecosystem, maintaining strong connections with the NIH Bench to Bassinet program and global pediatric cardiology networks.

Dr. Porter's research team employs multidisciplinary approaches combining molecular biology, genetics, physiology, and computational methods. The laboratory maintains active collaborations with the Cardiovascular Development Consortium and participates in international research networks focused on pediatric cardiology and mitochondrial biology, with recent expansion into brain-heart axis investigations.