Pharmacology of Cell and Organ Systems - Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh

Investigators in the Molecular Pharmacology program are also examining the mechanisms of autonomic synaptic transmission and the autonomic regulation of the urogenital and renal systems. These studies include: 1) neuroanatomical and neurophysiological research aimed towards the development of agents to modulate neuronal control of the urinary bladder, colon, and sex organs; 2) biochemical/molecular analysis of the role of PP-fold peptides released from autonomic synaptic junctions in the regulation of renovascular tone and arterial blood pressure in genetic hypertension; and 3) the interaction between the sympathetic nervous system and estradiol on renal function.

Primary faculty who study Pharmacology of Cell and Organ Systems (Click to see their detailed research profile)

Jonathan Beckel
Alessandro Bisello - Structure, signalling and trafficking of G-protein-coupled receptors. Role of EBP50 in vascular remodeling and role of GLP-1 in pancreatic beata cell function.
Eugenia Cifuentes-Pagano
William de Groat - Study of the autonomic mechanisms involved in the control of urogenital function. Study of visceral pain mechanisms.
Donald DeFranco - Glucocorticoids and Neurodevelopment. Prostate cancer.
Marco Fazzari
Peter Friedman - Parathyroid hormone receptor trafficking, regulation, signaling.
Edwin Jackson - The physiology and pharmacology of endogenous modulators of growth, structure and function of cells in the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, with particular focus on adenosine, the renin-angiotensin soystem and estradiol metabolites.
Jack Lancaster
Adrian Lee
Tatyana Mamonova
Carola Neumann
Steffi Oesterreich - Molecular mechanism and clinical relevance of endocrine response in breast cancer
Patrick Pagano - Development of peptic, viral and small molecular inhibitors of NADPH oxidases and reactive species to assess NOX involvement in cardiovascular disease as well as to devise new therapies
Michael Palladino - Combined molecular and genetic approach to identify key proteins required for neural maintenance with age and understand the role of these gene products in human disease conditions.
Guillermo Romero - Regulation of G-protein coupled receptor function by phospholipase D and PDZ proteins; molecular regulation of Wnt signaling. Signal Transduction mechanisms associated to the activation of cellular phospholipases.
Francisco Schopfer
Sruti Shiva - The mechanisms by which reactive nitrogen species regulate mitochondrial function and signaling, particularly in conditions of hypoxia or ischemia.
Laura Stabile
Adam Straub - Redox signaling mechanisms in the microcirculation.
Ben Van Houten - Mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases , structure function of DNA repair enzymes/proteins.
Jean-Pierre Vilardaga - Understanding molecular mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR) signalling and trafficking.
Dario Vitturi
Daniela Volonte
Qiming Jane Wang - Targeting protein kinase D by small molecular inhibitors for cancer therapy; signaling mechanisms of protein kinase D in cancer.