James N. Weiss

James N. Weiss, MD is a Distinguished Professor in Medicine and Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), holding the Kawata Endowed Chair in Cardiology. He leads the UCLA Cardiovascular Research Laboratory and directs the Division of Cardiology. His research integrates experimental biology, mathematical modeling, and systems biology to address cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic injury, and genetic heart disease mechanisms. Dr. Weiss has authored over 300 articles and directed major NIH grants, including a Specialized Center of Research in Sudden Cardiac Death and Program Project Grants. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Archibald Byron Macallum Lectureship and Mayo Soley Award.

Education includes a BS in Physics from Hamilton College, MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and cardiology training at UCLA. His interdisciplinary work spans arrhythmia biology (fibrillation mechanisms), ischemia biology (metabolic pathways and cardioprotection), and systems genetics (using hybrid mouse models to study polygenic diseases). Key collaborations involve mathematicians, bioengineers, and geneticists to develop novel therapies targeting ion channels, mitochondrial function, and gene networks.

Research highlights include modeling nonlinear dynamics of arrhythmias, investigating mitochondrial permeability transition’s role in reperfusion injury, and pioneering the Gene Module Association Study (GMAS) for genetic disease analysis. His lab’s innovations aim to translate basic science discoveries into clinical tools for arrhythmia prevention and heart disease treatment.