Dr. Altamirano received his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Chile and performed his postdoctoral training at UC Davis and UT Southwestern. He has extensive experience studying the molecular mechanisms that drive striated muscle pathology. His research focuses on understanding how mutations in the gene PKD1 affect cardiac function. PKD1 encodes for Polycystin-1 and is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a disease characterized by multiple cardiovascular alterations. Recently, Dr. Altamirano received a Career Development Award from the American Heart Association to continue his independent research. In 2020, as a new assistant professor, he started his own lab at Houston Methodist Research Institute in Houston, aiming to uncover the role of Polycystin-1 in cardiovascular disease. Our lab focuses on studying the role of Polycystin-1 in calcium handling and action potential regulation in cardiomyocytes.