NHGRI selects Charles P. Venditti as new chief of the Metabolic Medicine Branch

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has selected Charles P. Venditti, M.D., Ph.D., as chief of its Metabolic Medicine Branch within the Institute’s Intramural Research Program. In this role, he will provide leadership and guidance on research into genetic diseases that disrupt metabolism.

“Dr. Venditti has demonstrated expertise in the basic, translational and clinical aspects of metabolic diseases,” said Charles Rotimi, Ph.D., NHGRI scientific director. “He has remarkable leadership, creativity and management skills that will make him an extraordinary chief, along with his proven track record as a mentor and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”

Dr. Venditti has been at NHGRI for nearly 20 years. He started his career as a physician-scientist in 2003, then became a tenure-track investigator in NHGRI’s Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch in 2008. After receiving tenure in 2016, he became a senior investigator in the Metabolic Medicine Branch.

Currently, Dr. Venditti is also an attending physician at the NIH Clinical Center. His group conducts both clinical and laboratory research on methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), propionic acidemia (PA), and related metabolic disorders.

Dr. Venditti has demonstrated expertise in the basic, translational and clinical aspects of metabolic diseases. He has remarkable leadership, creativity and management skills that will make him an extraordinary chief, along with his proven track record as a mentor and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

Previously, Les Biesecker, M.D., had served as acting chief of the Metabolic Medicine Branch since 2021.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be named the new chief of the Metabolic Medicine Branch,” Dr. Venditti said. “We are at an exciting time in metabolic medicine and in genomics research — where scientific progress is being made at unprecedented speed — and we are excited to continue our efforts to bring new genomic therapies to patients.

The Metabolic Medicine Branch focuses on genetic conditions that affect the body’s metabolism. These disorders often delay normal development and growth, disrupting the function of various organs. Researchers in the branch conduct both clinical and laboratory research to investigate how these disorders occur and how they can be treated. The branch focuses on developing and fine-tuning treatments for these metabolic disorders, including gene therapies and pharmaceuticals. Branch investigators also use cutting-edge genetic and genomic techniques to find new genes implicated in metabolic disorders.

After graduating from MIT, Dr. Venditti received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Penn State University. He subsequently completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, which was followed by a medical genetics fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia / University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Dr. Venditti has authored and co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed research articles, reviews, and textbook chapters and is a named inventor on 21 US patents. He has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Dr. Venditti will begin his appointment as branch chief on Oct. 8, 2022.