During the 2015 fiscal year, our primary faculty members in the Division of Translational and Regenerative Medicine have trained more than 25 students, fellows and junior faculty members and visiting scholars in a variety of research programs.
Junior Faculty and Visiting Scholars
In FY2014-15, seven junior faculty members at the level of Research Assistant Professor and Instructor honed their skills in our Division. They are listed below by name, current position and research topic:
Kimberly McDermott, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Cell signaling in cancer metastasis and pathogenic mechanisms of pulmonary vascular cell proliferation and apoptosis"
Haiyang Tang, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Pathogenic and therapeutic mechanisms of pulmonary vascular remodeling using animal models"
Jose Ek Vitorin, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Regulation of voltage-gated K+ channels in sustained pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and animals with experimental pulmonary hypertension"
Olga Ravikova, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Role of the damage associated molecular pattern (DAMP) receptors TLR4 and RAGE in pulmonary hypertension development and progression"
Xutong Sun, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Mechanisms of disrupted mitochondrial function in the pulmonary endothelium in children born with congenital heart defects"
Qing Lu, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Regulation of NO signaling and mitochondria function in the cerebrovascular injury and neonatal pulmonary hypertension"
Evgeny A. Zemskov, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
"Molecular mechanisms leading to the endothelial barrier disruption in the models of acute lung injury and approaches to protect/repair pulmonary endothelium barrier"
Saad Sammani, MD
Research Assistant Professor
"Development of novel therapeutic approaches for ARDS using preclinical models of acute lung injury"
Qing Gu, MD
Visiting Scholar
Associate Professor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
"Molecular and cellular mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension: Role of Akt/mTOR pathway"
Postdoctoral Fellows
In FY2014-15, six postdoctoral fellows were in the training program in the Division. They are listed below by name, position and research topic:
Ramon Ayon, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
"Functional role of voltage-dependent Ca²+ channels in the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone"
Ruby A. Fernandez, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
"Role of STIM2, Orai1 and TRPC6 in the transition of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative phenotype"
Shanshan Song, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
"Pathogenic role of Ca²+ signaling in the development and progression of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension"
Aleksandra Babicheva, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
"microRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of genes associated with the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension"
Manuela Kellner, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
"2D/3D Imaging of pulmonary arterial hypertension and acute respiratory stress syndrome"
Graduate Students
In FY2014-15, three graduate students were trained in the programs in our division. Their names, positions and research topics are as follows:
Sujana Vinjamuri, MD, MPH
Graduate Student
"Upregulated STIM2/Orai2 contributes to the enhanced SOCE in PASMC from IPAH patients"
Madeline Espineira, BS
Graduate Student
"Molecular mechanisms involved in the transition from a contractile to proliferative phenotype in human PASMC"
Ruby A. Fernandez, BS
Graduate Student
"Upregulation of STIM1 contributes to the phenotypic transition of pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative phenotype"
Medical Students
In FY2014-15, one medical student was being trained in the programs in our division. Their names, positions and research topics are as follows:
Allison Yee, BS, MA
Medical Student
The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
"Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell apoptosis and its pathogenic role in the development of pulmonary hypertension"