Michael J. Ackerman

Michael J. Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Pharmacology, Medicine, and Pediatrics at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He serves as a Consultant in the Division of Heart Rhythm Services within the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, with joint appointments in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology and the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Ackerman directs the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory and the Long QT Syndrome Clinic at Mayo Clinic. His educational background includes an MD/PhD from Mayo Clinic (1995), with undergraduate studies in Chemistry and Mathematics at Luther College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

• BA - Chemistry and Mathematics, Summa Cum Laude, Luther College
• MD/PhD - Pharmacology, Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic
• Residency - Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic
• Fellowship - Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Ackerman's research focuses on genomics and genotype-phenotype relationships in heritable cardiovascular diseases that predispose to sudden death. His laboratory specializes in cardiac channelopathies such as long QT syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, as well as inherited sarcomere diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His work also encompasses sudden unexplained death in the young and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on applying advanced technologies like deep neural networks to distinguish congenital from acquired cardiac conditions, enhancing genotype prediction models with advanced imaging, and improving risk stratification for patients with genetic heart rhythm disorders. His research consistently bridges basic science discoveries with clinical applications.

• Team Science Award, Artificial Intelligence Electrocardiogram team, Mayo Clinic, 2023
• Windland Smith Rice Cardiovascular Genomics Research Professor, 2011
• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Dean's Distinguished Educator, 2024
• Distinguished Scientist Award, Heart Rhythm Society, 2018
• Mayo Clinic Distinguished Clinician Award, 2015

Dr. Ackerman leads an extensive clinical research program with over 870 publications. His laboratory has discovered more than 12 sudden-death-predisposing genes that are now included in commercially available genetic tests. He serves as President of the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation and maintains numerous professional memberships including the American Society for Clinical Investigation (inducted 2010).

The Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, under Dr. Ackerman's leadership, maintains collaborations with researchers worldwide and operates in conjunction with the Long QT Syndrome Clinic/Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic at Mayo Clinic. The laboratory focuses on gene discovery, characterization of novel arrhythmia-associated genes, and development of potential treatments using whole-cell electrophysiology and patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocyte modeling.