Dr. Cistola 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 helped shape 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. 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). His primary experimental tool was nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy -- a technology that offered deep molecular insights into metabolism and inspired innovations in health screening 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 multiple 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 toward type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. He demonstrated how portable, tablet-sized magnetic resonance devices can detect this insidious metabolic shift long before conventional clinical signs appear. His discoveries also shed light on how suboptimal metabolism affects oxygen delivery, cellular health, and athletic performance.

 

This pioneering research has produced numerous scientific publications, a portfolio of U.S. and international patents, and ultimately the founding of T2YourHealth LLC. His publications and patents are cataloged in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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Positions Held:

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2025–Present     Adjunct Professor, UT Health Houston School of Public Health

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2024–Present     Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, T2YourHealth LLC

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2016–2024           Professor (Tenured), Center of Emphasis in Diabetes & Metabolism,

                               Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech Health El Paso

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2012–2016             Vice President for Research & Innovation and Professor (Tenured),

                                UNT Health Fort Worth​

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2007–2012            Associate Dean for Research and Professor (Tenured), College of Allied                                                           Health Sciences & Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University

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1999–2000            Visiting Professor of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Canada

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1989–2007            Assistant and Associate Professor (Tenured), Washington University

                                School of Medicine, St. Louis

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1988–1989             Research Instructor and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Fellow,

                                Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri USA

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1987-1988              Andrew Costello Fellowship, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International 

                                Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts USA

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1985-1986              NIH National Research Service Award Fellowship, Cardiovascular &                                                                  Biophysics Institutes, Boston University School of Medicine​​