Dr. Burnett is the Marriott Family Professor of Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Medicine and Physiology, Director of the Cardiorenal Research Laboratory and Mayo Distinguished Investigator at the Mayo Clinic. He also served as the Director of Research for the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Burnett studies the endocrine role of the heart in cardiorenal homeostasis with a focus on the natriuretic peptides in heart failure, hypertension and cardiometabolic disease. The long-term goal is the engineering and clinical development of novel designer natriuretic peptides for the treatment of human cardiorenal disease, including the development of innovative natriuretic peptide-based diagnostics.
With continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Burnett and his team have developed multiple novel designer peptides three of which are currently in clinical trials targeting heart failure and resistant hypertension. From this work, 29 patents have been awarded and five new biotechnology companies founded.
He is the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Mayo Cardiovascular Research Center. He also is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Heart Center of Singapore. He is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians. He has received many honors including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Heart Failure Society of America and the Distinguished Mayo Alumnus Award.