Skip to main content
Mauro  Giacca

Professor Mauro Giacca

Head of the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences

  • Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences

Research interests

  • Cardiovascular

Contact details

Biography

Mauro Giacca, MD PhD, is Head of the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, and Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences, King’s College London. Until 2019, he has served as the Director-General of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), an organization in the United Nations system based in Italy. In 2005, he became a Full Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Trieste, Italy.

He is the President of the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR) European Section and serves on the scientific boards of numerous academic institutions internationally. He is a founder of Forcefield Therapeutics and Heqet Therapeutics, two recent startups that develop cardiovascular biologics, and the co-founder of Purespring Therapeutics, which operates in the field of AAV gene therapy of the kidney. He is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the United Kingdom.

He received his Degree in Medicine from the University of Trieste, Italy and his PhD in Microbiology and Virology from the University of Genoa, Italy.

A medical doctor by training, he is considered an expert in the generation of viral vectors for cardiovascular applications and the development of novel biologics for cardiac repair and regeneration in patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure. He has published over 400 papers in international journals, in addition to several reviews and chapters in books and university textbooks. His research has been founded by numerous international grants, including two consecutive ERC Advanced Investigator grants, and a British Heart Foundation Programme Grant.

    Research

    From Dev Biology to Regen Medicine-hero
    From Developmental Biology to Regenerative Medicine

    Understanding organ development and tissue regeneration provides a framework for elucidating disease mechanisms as well as for developing new therapeutics.

    Spatial Biology hero
    Spatial Biology Network

    The Spatial Biology Network is a cross-faculty research interest group that brings together researchers from various disciplines, ranging from technology development and molecular biology, to bioinformatics and clinical translational research, to explore the complexity of spatial biology.

    synthetic-biology
    RNA Biology

    RNA is at the forefront of biomedical research for its central role in how information is transferred from DNA to protein. This Research Interest Group is open to all interested parties from across the University.

    News

    Researchers identify three proteins with potential to prevent heart failure

    Scientists working to develop new therapies and treatments for heart failure patients have discovered three novel proteins that can be injected immediately...

    heart-failure

    King's spin-out Forcefield Therapeutics launches after funding commitment

    Forcefield Therapeutics, a King’s spin-out that pioneers therapeutics to protect heart function after a heart attack, officially launches today.

    heart-failure

    King's spin-out Heqet Therapeutics raises £6.6m

    Heqet Therapeutics, a King’s biotech spin-out active in the field of regenerative medicine, today announces the closing of a £6.6m Series A financing round,...

    heart 2

    King's engineer leading research project on rapid vaccine manufacture

    WellcomeLEAP grant for rapid vaccine manufacture

     Vaccine

    King's researchers shortlisted in national science image competition

    Where science and art collide, the competition challenges BHF-funded scientists to showcase their state-of-the-art heart and circulatory disease research...

    image competition

    Professor Mauro Giacca elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

    Professor Mauro Giacca, from the School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, is one of 50 new Fellows to be elected to the prestigious Academy of Medical...

    Mauro-Giacca-1

    Antiparasitic drug could prevent Covid-19 lung damage

    A common antiparasitic drug could block lung damage in people with coronavirus, new research published today in Nature has found.

    lung-covid

    COVID-19 lung damage caused by persistence of 'abnormal cells'

    Investigations of deceased COVID-19 patients have shed light on possible lung damage caused by the virus.

    lung-covid

    Locating drugs to target COVID-19

    Scientists from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have been working to screen drugs that could have the potential to target the COVID-19 virus.

    Virus

    Events

    16AprPhilip Wenzel SCMMS seminar

    RAAS activation and inflammatory monocytes in cardiovascular (mal)adaptation and repair

    Seminar from Professor Philip Wenzel on the role of monocytes in cardiovascular problems and repair

    Please note: this event has passed.

    22FebClocks

    Epigenetic Clocks Connected with Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

    Special Hybrid Seminar on Epigenetic Clocks

    Please note: this event has passed.

    26OctInaugural Lectures General 2022-23 thumbnail reduced text final

    Inaugural Lecture: Professors Helen Collins & Mauro Giacca

    Inspiring talks from some of our brightest minds

    Please note: this event has passed.

    25Octbrain-scan

    Pharma / Industry Physiological Oxygen Workshop: 'Drug discovery and high-throughput screening under physiological normoxia'

    Drug discovery and high throughput screening under physiological normoxia

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Spotlight

    Spotlight on COVID: Finding a cure

    Professor Mauro Giacca discusses how he is using his previous cardiovascular research to work towards a cure.

    spotlight-covid-1920

      Research

      From Dev Biology to Regen Medicine-hero
      From Developmental Biology to Regenerative Medicine

      Understanding organ development and tissue regeneration provides a framework for elucidating disease mechanisms as well as for developing new therapeutics.

      Spatial Biology hero
      Spatial Biology Network

      The Spatial Biology Network is a cross-faculty research interest group that brings together researchers from various disciplines, ranging from technology development and molecular biology, to bioinformatics and clinical translational research, to explore the complexity of spatial biology.

      synthetic-biology
      RNA Biology

      RNA is at the forefront of biomedical research for its central role in how information is transferred from DNA to protein. This Research Interest Group is open to all interested parties from across the University.

      News

      Researchers identify three proteins with potential to prevent heart failure

      Scientists working to develop new therapies and treatments for heart failure patients have discovered three novel proteins that can be injected immediately...

      heart-failure

      King's spin-out Forcefield Therapeutics launches after funding commitment

      Forcefield Therapeutics, a King’s spin-out that pioneers therapeutics to protect heart function after a heart attack, officially launches today.

      heart-failure

      King's spin-out Heqet Therapeutics raises £6.6m

      Heqet Therapeutics, a King’s biotech spin-out active in the field of regenerative medicine, today announces the closing of a £6.6m Series A financing round,...

      heart 2

      King's engineer leading research project on rapid vaccine manufacture

      WellcomeLEAP grant for rapid vaccine manufacture

       Vaccine

      King's researchers shortlisted in national science image competition

      Where science and art collide, the competition challenges BHF-funded scientists to showcase their state-of-the-art heart and circulatory disease research...

      image competition

      Professor Mauro Giacca elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

      Professor Mauro Giacca, from the School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, is one of 50 new Fellows to be elected to the prestigious Academy of Medical...

      Mauro-Giacca-1

      Antiparasitic drug could prevent Covid-19 lung damage

      A common antiparasitic drug could block lung damage in people with coronavirus, new research published today in Nature has found.

      lung-covid

      COVID-19 lung damage caused by persistence of 'abnormal cells'

      Investigations of deceased COVID-19 patients have shed light on possible lung damage caused by the virus.

      lung-covid

      Locating drugs to target COVID-19

      Scientists from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have been working to screen drugs that could have the potential to target the COVID-19 virus.

      Virus

      Events

      16AprPhilip Wenzel SCMMS seminar

      RAAS activation and inflammatory monocytes in cardiovascular (mal)adaptation and repair

      Seminar from Professor Philip Wenzel on the role of monocytes in cardiovascular problems and repair

      Please note: this event has passed.

      22FebClocks

      Epigenetic Clocks Connected with Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

      Special Hybrid Seminar on Epigenetic Clocks

      Please note: this event has passed.

      26OctInaugural Lectures General 2022-23 thumbnail reduced text final

      Inaugural Lecture: Professors Helen Collins & Mauro Giacca

      Inspiring talks from some of our brightest minds

      Please note: this event has passed.

      25Octbrain-scan

      Pharma / Industry Physiological Oxygen Workshop: 'Drug discovery and high-throughput screening under physiological normoxia'

      Drug discovery and high throughput screening under physiological normoxia

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Spotlight

      Spotlight on COVID: Finding a cure

      Professor Mauro Giacca discusses how he is using his previous cardiovascular research to work towards a cure.

      spotlight-covid-1920