Dr Xavier Revelo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and Center for Immunology at the University of Minnesota. His laboratory studies the role of the immune system and inflammation in the pathophysiology of cardio-metabolic diseases. Dr Revelo has a broad background in metabolism, physiology and immunology and expertise in metabolic inflammation. He trained in the field of immunometabolism where he studied immune mediators of insulin resistance. Since starting his laboratory in 2018, he leads NIH-funded research investigating the mechanisms by which immune cells promote cardio-metabolic disease. In collaboration with Dr Jop van Berlo, he has uncovered an anti-fibrotic and pro-angiogenic role for cardiac resident macrophages. Dr Revelo is an avid long-distance runner who trains year-round for the marathon distance. He can be found on Twitter @Xavier_Revelo.

Dr Lei Qiao earned his MD (2017) and PhD (2021) from Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China, under the supervision of Professor Yun Zhang and Professor Wenqing Chen. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China. His research interest involves the role of autophagy in cardiovascular disease, especially chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. He is passionate about basic and clinical scientific research in cardiology, and his future goal is to translate basic research results into clinical applications. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and spending time with his friends and family.

Dr Jing Ma earned her MD in 2014 from Wuhan University and PhD in 2020 from Shandong University, China (mentor, Dr Yun Zhang). As a professional doctoral student, Jing Ma ’s research interest lies in the mechanism of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients after PCI. She identified that stent implantation triggers acute phase response and systemic inflammation, which may be associated with progression of non-target lesions. Jing Ma’s research is motivated by clinical observations of accelerated coronary lesions in many patients after PCI. Outside of scientific research, she enjoys singing and cooking, and for her a delicious dinner is a self-reward for a busy day conducting experiments.

Dr Kyuho Jeong is a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr Steve Lim in the College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. He earned his BS and PhD in Biochemistry from Gyeongsang National University in South Korea. The research published in this issue reveals that nuclear FAK regulates smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation via DNA methylation in contractile genes. Currently, his research focuses on better understanding the mechanisms of SMC phenotypic switching. In the future, he hopes to become an independent researcher and to continue his work revealing new therapeutic targets for vascular occlusive diseases.

Dr James M Murphy earned his BS from Spring Hill College and his MS and PhD from the University of South Alabama. Currently, he is working as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr Steve Lim’s lab at the University of South Alabama. His main area of research is focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms behind endothelial cell inflammation and smooth muscle cell proliferation that contribute to vascular disease. including atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling. In his free time, he enjoys reading novels, playing games and watching sports with his family.

Dr Shu-Yi Wei earned her BS in Veterinary Science from National Chung Hsing University and PhD in Molecular Medicine from National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan). She has been a member ofDr Jeng-Jiann Chiu’s laboratory at the National Health Research Institutes since 2009, first for or postdoctoral research training and then as a research fellow. Dr Wei’s current work is exploring the potential molecules involved in blood flow-mediated endothelial functions and atherosclerosis. She decided to be a scientist because she makes exciting discoveries every day and finds the work extremely employable. Outside of science, she loves to watch fantasy films and spend time with her family and lovely cat. She can be found on Twitter @ShuYi95840155.

Dr Han Jin earned his PhD in September 2021 from Maastricht University, the Netherlands, supervised by Dr Erik Biessen and Dr Judith Sluimer. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Systems Medicine at the Science for Life Laboratory, Sweden. With a background in Computer Science (BS from Tianjin University of Science & Technology, MS from Nankai University, both in CS), his current research interests focus on computational modelling of cardiovascular diseases. He applies various omics technologies and computational approaches, including multi-omics integration, single-cell sequencing, network analysis and drug repurposing, to understand the mechanism of atherosclerosis and to identify novel drug targets for cardiovascular diseases. Besides research, he enjoys traveling and photography.