Juan-Pablo Idrovo, MD

As an Assistant Professor in Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, my career is driven by a deep commitment to advancing our understanding of surgical research and molecular biology. With over 12 years of professional experience, I have focused my research on complex areas such as inflammation, cell death, mitochondrial energy metabolism, wound healing, and sepsis. I have been fortunate to train under several NIH-funded mentors whose guidance has enriched my scientific acumen and fueled my passion for research. As a testament to my dedication, I have led and continue to conduct research projects funded by the NIH. As a surgeon-scientist, I dedicate my time to care for trauma victims, patients suffering acute surgical illness, critically ill patients, and basic and translational science research projects. I hold an NIH-K08 award, which allows me to delve into the hepatic response to burns in aged mice, an area that remains largely unexplored. My contributions to science span various significant areas. I have worked on modulating mitochondrial energy metabolism in animal models, illuminating the effects of enzymatic pathways on energy metabolism. This work has been acknowledged in several publications and has earned awards from surgical societies. In all these endeavors, my ultimate goal remains the improvement of patient outcomes through rigorous research and innovative therapeutic interventions. My burn injury research has focused on the vital role the liver plays in post-burn outcomes, particularly on elucidating the cellular mechanisms involved in the hepatic response in elderly patients. Research in the last decade associates poor outcomes in burn patients, especially elderly victims, with burn-induced liver damage. However, the pathophysiology of burn-induced liver damage is poorly understood, and we lack reliable diagnostic tools and liver-directed therapies to treat this condition. A key characteristic of burn-induced liver damage is severe ATP depletion caused by dysfunctional mitochondria. Thus, my research aims to understand the impact of mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction after major trauma and to develop unique liver-targeted therapies to improve the outcome of acute care and trauma victims.