Leslie J. Donato

Dr. Leslie J. Donato is a board certified Clinical Chemist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She serves as co-director of the Hospital Clinical Laboratory and Point of Care Testing and co-director of the Cardiovascular Laboratory Medicine, with significant leadership roles in laboratory standardization and oversight committees.

Dr. Donato's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology from Cornell University (2006), Post Doctoral Associate training in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2010), and Clinical Chemistry Fellowship and Residency at Mayo Clinic (2012). She is board certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry since 2012.

Her research focuses on cardiovascular risk detection and cardiac biomarkers, gastrointestinal tests for bile acid malabsorption, and point of care molecular testing of lipids and infectious diseases. She has pioneered methods using serum 7-alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7aC4) and stool bile acid measurements for bile acid diarrhea diagnosis, developed improved lipid measurement algorithms, and conducted significant work on lipoprotein(a) testing and interpretation.

Dr. Donato's extensive publication record spans cardiovascular biomarkers, lipidology, gastrointestinal diagnostics, and analytical methods, with notable contributions to lipoprotein(a) testing guidelines and point-of-care testing validation. Her recent work (2023-2025) demonstrates continued innovation in lipid measurement techniques, cardiovascular risk assessment, and diagnostic approaches for gastrointestinal disorders.

• 2024 Cooper Award for Outstanding Contributions to Scientific Research (Lipoproteins and Vascular Diseases Division)
• Multiple AACC Outstanding Speaker Awards (2016, 2013, 2012)
• 2012 Paul E. Strandjord Young Investigator Award
• 2012 First Place Student Oral Presentation Contest
• 2011 Mass Spectrometry Application for Clinical Laboratory (MSACL) Trainee Travel Award

As an educator, Dr. Donato actively trains residents, fellows, and medical laboratory technologists at Mayo Clinic. She holds leadership positions including Chair Elect of the ADLM Cardiovascular Division (2025-present) and Treasurer of the Critical and Point of Care Testing Division (2024-2026). Her work bridges clinical chemistry, laboratory medicine, and patient care, making significant contributions to diagnostic testing standardization and implementation at Mayo Clinic.