Saint Luke’s Innovation Week Profile: Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod

In his younger years, Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod was a concert violinist in Siberia, competing against some of today’s most renowned violinists. But growing up in a medical family, he knew he wanted to be a physician from a young age. At 19, he moved to the U.S. with his family after having made a choice between medicine and music, ultimately deciding to go with his bigger passion.

While he was in the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, his father suffered a heart attack after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. A short time later, his fiancé - now his wife - was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This inspired him to become a cardiologist and influenced the rest of his career, including studying heart complications of diabetes. After medical school, he matched at Yale New Haven Hospital, where he became Chief Resident and subsequently completed a cardiology fellowship as well as the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program, acquiring training as a clinician investigator.

Nicknamed the “Siberian Express” by his colleagues in residency due to his tireless work ethic, Dr. Kosiborod is now the Vice President of Research at Saint Luke’s Health System, Professor of Medicine at UMKC, as well as a practicing cardiologist and clinical trialist. He co-founded Saint Luke's Michael & Marlys Haverty Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence and is the Executive Director of the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance. He was recently honored as the inaugural Ben McCallister, MD, Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research.

His passion is figuring out new treatments for cardiometabolic disease—the intersection of diabetes, obesity, heart and kidney disease. He has published nearly 300 studies and helped develop some of the key strategies for treating diabetes, heart and kidney disease that are being implemented around the world.

“Cardiometabolic disease is by far the biggest health threat we’re facing today, fueled by the rise in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes," Dr. Kosiborod said. "But the exciting part is that we’re also in the middle of the biggest renaissance of new exciting treatments that can have a transformational impact on how long patients live and how well they feel.”

Out of all his accomplishments, he is most proud that Saint Luke’s was one of the first institutions to propose that a medication initially developed for diabetes (SGLT2 inhibitors) may have a significant impact on heart failure. Saint Luke’s launched one of the first clinical trials for this use, which along with other major developments in the field has led to even larger studies. Today, it’s becoming the new standard of care for heart failure.

“It will eventually prolong life and improve the quality of life for millions of patients. It’s incredibly rewarding to be in a position to contribute to changing how we treat a very common and morbid disease that has a huge impact on patients across the globe.”

Join us for more ground-breaking research stories this week during Saint Luke's Innovation Week.