Itsaso Garcia-Arcos

Itsaso Garcia-Arcos is a Research Assistant Professor at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in the Department of Cell Biology under the College of Medicine. Her research focuses on lipid metabolism, surfactant lipid homeostasis, and cellular lipid dynamics in pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.

• Postdoctoral Fellowships: Cardiovascular lipid metabolism (Columbia University, 2010-2014); Pulmonary metabolism in smoke-related disease (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2014-2015)
• Doctoral Research: Hepatic lipid metabolism (University of the Basque Country, 2004-2009); Peroxisomal proteomics (Uppsala University, 2004); Protein interactions in pancreatic cells (University of Bordeaux, 2007)

Her lab investigates how lipid metabolic imbalances affect surfactant function and lung performance, particularly in diseases like COPD. Using cell culture and in vivo models, they explore molecular mechanisms in surfactant synthesis, secretion, and degradation.

Recent publications highlight her work on ANGPTL3/ASGR1 interactions, glucose-induced epithelial reprogramming, LRP1's role in smoke damage, and surfactant lipid correlations with COPD. Research spans lipid metabolism, surfactant biology, and pulmonary-cardiovascular interconnections.

• Scientific Awards: NHLBI R01 (2021-2026), NHLBI R56 (2019-2021), American Heart Association Grant-in-Aid (2017-2019), Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Award (2014-2020)

Dr. Garcia-Arcos leads the Garcia-Arcos Lab (www.garciaarcoslab.com), utilizing molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology techniques to study disease mechanisms. She has received multiple grants from NHLBI and AHA, covering pulmonary lipid metabolism and cardiovascular impacts.