Molkentin Honored with 2025 Drake Medal
Research By: Jeffery Molkentin, PhD
Post Date: November 11, 2025 | Publish Date:
UC College of Medicine’s highest honor recognizes a career of pioneering cardiovascular research
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has named Jeffery Molkentin, PhD, as one of four recipients of the 2025 Daniel Drake Medal, the college’s highest honor recognizing exceptional contributions to research, patient care and education.
Medals also were awarded to three long-time UC leaders and faculty: Mary C. Mahoney, MD; Francis X. McCormack Jr., MD; and Anil Menon, PhD. The awards were presented Nov. 8 at the Queen City Club in downtown Cincinnati.
Since Albert Sabin, MD, received the Daniel Drake Medal in 1985, more than a dozen Cincinnati Children’s physicians and scientists have been honored, reflecting the institution’s enduring partnership with the college and its global impact on child health. Molkentin joins this distinguished group of Cincinnati Children’s leaders who have received the medal in recent years, including Marc Rothenberg, MD, PhD (2023; Allergy and Immunology), Michael Farrell, MD (2022; Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition), Alan Jobe, MD, PhD (2020; Perinatal Institute, Neonatology), and Gurjit “Neeru” Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD (2019; Asthma Research). See the full list on UC’s website.
Molkentin, who serves as director of the Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology and executive co-director of the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s, is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work uncovering the molecular mechanisms that drive heart and skeletal muscle disease.
A UC faculty member for more than 28 years, Molkentin has authored more than 450 research papers and is among the world’s most highly cited biomedical scientists, with a Google Scholar h-index of 161. His discoveries have reshaped fundamental understanding of how cells die, repair and remodel in disease — insights that continue to inform new therapeutic strategies for heart failure, muscular dystrophy and tissue fibrosis.
DEFINING THE MOLECULAR MACHINERY OF HEART DISEASE
At Cincinnati Children’s, the Molkentin Laboratory focuses on deciphering the intricate signaling pathways that regulate cardiac cell growth, death and regeneration. A major theme of his lab’s research explores mitochondrial-dependent cell death, particularly how the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore triggers necrosis in cardiac and skeletal muscle. By defining the genes and molecular switches that control these processes, his team aims to uncover new targets for therapies that could prevent heart injury after events such as myocardial infarction.
Another area of discovery centers on cardiac hypertrophy, or the abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. Using transgenic mouse models, the Molkentin Lab investigates how stress- and growth-related signaling pathways remodel the heart at the molecular and cellular levels.
Molkentin’s research team is also recognized for redefining the role of stem cells in cardiac repair. His studies revealed that adult stem cells do not directly regenerate heart muscle as once believed. Instead, these cells promote healing by modulating the innate immune response and the activity of macrophages — findings that have reshaped the field’s approach to cell-based cardiac therapy.
“Dr. Molkentin’s work has fundamentally changed how we understand the injured heart — from how it responds to stress and cell death to how it heals,” said Tina Cheng, MD, MPH, UC Department of Pediatrics chair, Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation director, and chief medical officer. “His leadership and mentorship have inspired a generation of cardiovascular scientists and strengthened Cincinnati Children’s reputation as a global center for heart research.”
SHAPING SCIENCE AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS
A former investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Molkentin has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for decades, holding more than six active NIH grants as principal investigator. His contributions have earned him numerous honors, including the American Heart Association’s Basic Research Prize and the Lucian Award from McGill University.
Equally significant is his role as a mentor. Approximately 40 of his former trainees now lead independent research programs as principal investigators at academic institutions worldwide.
“I take great pride in helping young scientists who wish to pursue careers in biomedical research,” Molkentin said. “The greatest reward is seeing my trainees make their own discoveries that move the field forward.”
ABOUT THE DANIEL DRAKE MEDAL
Established in 1985, the Daniel Drake Medal honors the legacy of Dr. Daniel Drake, founder of the Medical College of Ohio — the forerunner of the UC College of Medicine. The award is presented annually to living faculty or alumni whose accomplishments exemplify excellence in education, scholarship and research.
“The 2025 Daniel Drake Medal recipients truly represent the highest caliber of medical excellence, innovation and unwavering commitment to our mission,” said Gregory C. Postel, MD, dean of the College of Medicine, Christian R. Holmes professor, executive vice president for health affairs and chair of the UC Health Board of Directors. “Through their discoveries, their leadership in patient care and their dedication to mentorship, these individuals have not only advanced their respective fields but have dramatically elevated the reputation and impact of the University of Cincinnati on the world stage. They embody the legacy of Dr. Daniel Drake himself.”
Through his leadership at Cincinnati Children’s and his transformative discoveries in cardiovascular biology, Molkentin continues that tradition of excellence, driving new insights that are shaping the future of cardiovascular medicine.
Read more about the 2025 Drake Medal recipients
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Our laboratory investigates a range of focus areas, all of which center on understanding the molecular mechanisms of heart and skeletal muscle disease.
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