Linda L. Demer

Linda L. Demer, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Bioengineering at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. She is also the Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine and leads the Cardiovascular Calcification Research Laboratory. Dr. Demer pioneered research on vascular calcification, demonstrating its regulation by bone differentiation factors and embryonic skeletal development. Her work includes developing tissue culture models and identifying regulatory molecules in calcification processes. She has held leadership roles in national and international organizations and received awards like the Stein-Oppenheimer Award and the Jeffrey Hoeg Award. Her research focuses on mechanisms linking calcification to cardiovascular events, statin use, and elite athlete physiology. She leads NIH-funded projects exploring exercise-induced calcification, serotonin receptor roles, and aging effects on calcific vasculopathy. Dr. Demer's training programs, including the STAR Program and UCLA Resident Scientist Training Program, emphasize physician-scientist development.

Education:

• MD, PhD in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (1983)
• Clinical residency and fellowship at Texas Medical Center
• Joined UCLA faculty in 1988

Research Interests: Vascular biology, biomineralization, cardiovascular calcification, calcific atherosclerosis, and mesenchymal stem cells. Current projects include investigating structural differences in calcium deposits and their clinical implications using microCT and microPET imaging.

Awards:

• 1993 Stein-Oppenheimer Award
• 2001 Davidson Memorial Lectureship
• 2002 Franklin D. Murphy Research Prize
• 2003 Jeffrey Hoeg Award
• 2007 Steward Niewiarowski Award

Grants:

• NIH R01HL151391 (Role of intermittent parathyroid hormone receptor activation in exercise-induced calcification)
• NIH R38HL143614 (UCLA Resident Scientist Training Program)
• NIH R01HL137647 (Serotonin receptor contribution to aortic valve disease)

Labs/Teams: Cardiovascular Calcification Research Laboratory, focusing on mechanisms of calcification and translational imaging techniques.