Lisa M Castillo

Lisa M Castillo serves as Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, where she directs cardiovascular genetics clinical services and research. She holds appointments at the Center for Genetic Medicine and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS).

Her research focuses on cardiovascular genetics, particularly in inherited cardiomyopathies (dilated, hypertrophic, arrhythmogenic), inherited arrhythmias (Long QT, Brugada), inherited aortopathies including Marfan syndrome, familial hypercholesterolemia, and neuromuscular diseases with cardiac manifestations. She has pioneered work in genetic testing panels for cardiac conditions, desmoplakin mutation research, genomic autopsies for unexplained cardiac death, and novel gene mutations in heart disease.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on improving genetic diagnostics for cardiac conditions, with particular attention to test panel optimization, mutation interpretation, and clinical applications of genetic findings in cardiovascular disease.

Scientific Awards:

• Beth Fine Kaplan Best Student Thesis Award as Co-Thesis Advisor, National Society of Genetic Counseling (2019)

Lisa Castillo actively supervises graduate students in the Genetic Counseling Program through clinical rotations and thesis advising. Her professional leadership includes serving as Co-chair of the National Society of Genetic Counselor Cardiovascular SIG Postmortem Working Group Committee since 2009 and as a Member of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Disease Centers of Excellence Program since 2023.

She maintains active professional memberships in the American Heart Association (2023-present), National Society of Genetic Counseling (2001-present), and Illinois Society of Genetic Professionals (2001-present), demonstrating long-standing commitment to advancing cardiovascular genetics and genetic counseling practice.