Rate My Professor Gino Cortopassi

Gino Cortopassi is Professor of Molecular Biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. His research centers on mitochondrial pathophysiology and its roles in aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic disorders. The Cortopassi laboratory designs novel drugs targeting mitochondrial dysfunction to treat diabetes, liver disease, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer. Key investigations include the effects of ketogenic diets on longevity and Alzheimer's disease models, toxicity of quaternary ammonium compounds, and therapies for Friedreich's ataxia such as omaveloxolone and dimethyl fumarate. Studies utilize mouse models, cell lines, and human tissues to explore mitochondrial DNA deletions, oxidative stress, inflammation, biogenesis, and energy stress pathways.

Cortopassi has pioneered research in mitochondrial genetics, with highly influential publications including 'Detection of a specific mitochondrial DNA deletion in tissues of older humans' (1990), 'A pattern of accumulation of a somatic deletion of mitochondrial DNA in aging human tissues' (1992), 'Mitochondrial ribosomal RNA mutation associated with both antibiotic-induced and non-syndromic deafness' (1993), and 'A ketogenic diet extends longevity and healthspan in adult mice' (2017). Other notable works encompass 'A simple method for site-directed mutagenesis using the polymerase chain reaction' (1989), studies on frataxin deficiency in Friedreich's ataxia (1999, 2008), and recent findings on beta-hydroxybutyrate's anti-inflammatory effects (2025) and sex-specific toxicities (2026). His contributions demonstrate mitochondrial DNA mutations' accumulation in aging and disease, influencing geriatrics, metabolism, and translational medicine. Cortopassi was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014. He holds affiliations with the UC Davis Pharmacology and Toxicology program, Neuroscience Graduate Group, and Cancer Center, and leads projects on ketogenic longevity mechanisms.