David P. Cistola, M.D., Ph.D.
Innovator in Cardiometabolic Health and Diabetes Prevention Research
David P. Cistola, M.D., Ph.D. is a different kind of doctor – a medical scientist, inventor, and lifelong explorer of human metabolism. Rather than following a traditional path, his career has focused on shaping the future of metabolic health and diabetes prevention.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry (the study of metabolism at the molecular level), Dr. Cistola entered the combined M.D.-Ph.D. program at Boston University School of Medicine in 1978. His doctoral research in biochemistry and biophysics advanced the understanding of how free fatty acids (the transport form of lipids) move through the bloodstream to supply tissues with energy. This fundamental process plays a key role in both normal metabolism and in conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dr. Cistola's primary experimental tool was nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy -- technology that revealed deep molecular insights but also inspired whole-body health innovations later in his career.
With 14 years of rigorous training in metabolism and medicine, Dr. Cistola launched his first medical research laboratory as an assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Over the next four decades, he led research teams investigating the root causes of diabetes and CVD.
His recent work introduced the concept of the Metabolism Spectrum. It highlights Early Metabolic Imbalance (EMI) -- a hidden, overlooked state that represents the earliest warning sign on the path to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He and his team demonstrated how portable, tablet-sized magnetic resonance devices can detect this insidious metabolic shift long before conventional clinical signs appear. Also, his team's discoveries shed light on how sub-optimal metabolism affects oxygen delivery, cellular health, and athletic performance.
This pioneering research has produced numerous scientific publications and a portfolio of U.S. and international patents. Ultimately, it led to the founding of T2YourHealth -- the company behind MetabolismSpectrum.com. Dr. Cistola's publications are cataloged by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Positions Held:
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2025–Present
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2024–Present
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2016–2024
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2012–2016
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2007–2012
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1999–2000
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1989–2007
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1987-1989
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1985-1987
Adjunct Professor, UT Health Houston School of Public Health
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Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, T2YourHealth LLC
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Professor (Tenured), Center of Emphasis in Diabetes & Metabolism, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech Health El Paso
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Vice President for Research & Innovation and Professor (Tenured),
UNT Health, Fort Worth
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Associate Dean for Research and Professor (Tenured), College of Allied Health Sciences & Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University
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Visiting Professor of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
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Assistant and Associate Professor (Tenured), Washington University
School of Medicine, St. Louis
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Research Instructor and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Fellow,
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
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National Institutes of Health NRSA Fellow, Cardiovascular Institute,
Boston University School of Medicine
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