Mary Garry

Mary Garry, PhD, is Professor of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division at the University of Minnesota and serves on the faculty of the PhD Program in Integrative Biology and Physiology. She is also the Founder & Director of the Lillehei Heart Institute Summer Research Scholars Program (2008-2017).

Research focus spans cardiovascular biology, cardiac regeneration, xenotransplantation, stem-cell-based tissue engineering, and developmental biology. Her work integrates molecular genetics, bioengineering, and translational medicine to advance therapies for heart disease and organ failure.

Across nearly two decades, her publications reveal a consistent trajectory in elucidating transcriptional networks—especially involving ETV2, FOXK1, MYCN, and Hedgehog/Wnt signaling—that govern cardiomyocyte proliferation, endothelial lineage reprogramming, and interspecies organogenesis. These studies underpin innovative strategies for generating humanized cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues within gene-edited porcine hosts, addressing the critical shortage of donor organs.

Scientific awards and honors are not explicitly listed in the provided text.

Student mentoring & training programs:

• Founder & Director, LHI Summer Research Scholars Program (2008-2017)
• Faculty mentor in the PhD Program in Integrative Biology and Physiology

Laboratory & affiliations: Research activities are centered within the Lillehei Heart Institute at the University of Minnesota, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities in the Cancer & Cardiovascular Research Building in Minneapolis, MN.