Michela Ottolia

Mic is a Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Anesthesiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Her research focuses on the structural and functional mechanisms of the cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX1), particularly its role in cardiac physiology, arrhythmogenesis, and disease. Ottolia leads NIH-funded studies investigating sodium-dependent inactivation of NCX1 and its implications for heart function.

Research Interests: Ottolia’s work centers on ion transport proteins, cellular calcium regulation, and membrane physiology. Key topics include NCX1 structure-function relationships, pharmacological modulation of ion channels, and arrhythmia mechanisms. Her lab integrates structural biology, electrophysiology, and genetic approaches to study cardiac ion homeostasis.

Grants & Awards: Ottolia has served as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on multiple NIH R01 grants, including projects exploring sodium-dependent NCX1 inactivation (R01HL152296), cellular calcium regulation (R01HL147569), and NCX1 operational mechanisms (R01HL130308).

Recent Publications: Recent work highlights structural insights into NCX1 activation/inhibition, AV node electrophysiology, and BK channel roles in inflammation. Ottolia’s publications span journals like Cell Calcium, Nature Communications, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.