Michigan Pharmacology

01/06/2026

Please welcome our newest postdoc, Dr. Carolina Hernandez Fuentes!

Born in Santiago, Chile, Carolina earned her B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in 2017 and her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Chile in 2023. Her doctoral research focused on lipotoxicity-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and signaling pathways involved in cardiac remodeling. She later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center, studying macrophage recruitment in a model of atrial remodeling associated with heart failure.

Carolina has now joined the University of Michigan as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Dr. Alan Smrcka’s laboratory under the NIH-sponsored T32 Cardiovascular Research Training Grant. Her future work will focus on adrenergic regulation of cardiac hypertrophic signaling using cellular and physiological models. Her broader research interests include understanding how metabolic and inflammatory stressors drive cardiac remodeling and developing translational models of cardiometabolic disease, an area she plans to expand in the future. Long term, Carolina aspires to lead an independent research program exploring s*x-specific mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disorders.

Outside the lab, Carolina enjoys modern and contemporary dance, baking sourdough bread, and spending time with her dog. She is also a dog and cat lover.

01/05/2026

A new paper (co-authored by Dr. Livia Stanger, Avery Campbell, Dr. Mike Holinstat, and more) was recently published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The paper, “Novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, CS014, attenuates in vivo thrombosis while maintaining hemostasis” can be found here:

CS014 maintained equivalent inhibition of HDAC compared to VPA without the formation of a key hepatotoxic metabolite, in addition to maintaining the ability to prevent thrombus formation following a vascular injury. While significant attenuation of platelet accumulation and fibrin formation was obse...

01/05/2026

A new paper (co-authored by Dr. Rich Auchus and more) was recently published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. The paper, “S*x Hormones Associate With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk and Survival” can be found here:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) risk differs by s*x and age, implicating s*x hormones as potential modifiers. This study examined plasma levels of biologically active s*x hormones and their association with ALS odds and survival in cases (females n = 131, males n = 189) and controls (females n =...

01/05/2026

A new paper (co-authored by Dr. Sonya Wolf-Fortune and more) was recently published in Nature Communications. The paper, “IL-17A is increased in diabetic wounds and impairs keratinocyte function via histone demethylase JMJD3” can be found here:

IL-17A is a cytokine critical for tissue repair, but in excess, it prolongs inflammation and impairs healing. In type 2 diabetic (T2D) wounds, keratinocyte functions, including migration and inflammation, are disrupted, though mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that IL-17A regulates ker...

01/05/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Manoj Puthenveedu and Dr. Greg Tall on being 2025 ASPET fellows!

The ASPET Council is pleased to announce the 2025 class of fellows. Selection as a fellow of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (FASPET) is an honor bestowed to our most distinguished members. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance pharmacolo...

12/19/2025

Video includes several Pharmacology PhD candidates!

Behind every PhD is someone who helped them get there!This video was created by UMSocial, a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Communications.

12/17/2025

PhRMA Foundation Awards $3.6M in Fellowships and Grants - Congratulations to Kate Bowman (Sebag Lab)!

Investing in today’s scientists for tomorrow’s breakthroughs Our vision is a healthier world where all people have access to innovative, life-changing medicines. About the PhRMA Foundation Join Our Email List Subscribe Foundation Awards $3.6M in 2026 Fellowships and Grants The PhRMA Foundation a...

12/12/2025

Twenty-Nine U-M College of Pharmacy Faculty Among the World’s Top 2% of Scientists - Congratulations to Dr. Traynor, Dr. Scott, Dr. Wang, and Dr. Chen!

Media Contact: Lindsay Groth, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, cop.communications@umich.edu [Ann Arbor, Michigan] – Twenty-nine faculty members from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy have been named to the 2025 World’s Top 2% Scientists Network, an internationally...

12/02/2025

A new paper (co-authored by Drs. Gwendolyn Burgess, Emily Jutkiewicz, and more) was recently published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Theraputics. The paper, “Effects of δ opioid receptor stimulation via SNC80 on conditioned reinforcing properties of a remifentanil-associated stimulus” can be found here:

Substance use disorder is associated with a high rate of relapse driven by the rewarding and motivational properties of drug-associated stimuli. We examined the extent to which the δ opioid receptor (DOR) mediated the conditioned reinforcing properties of drug-associated stimuli across 4 experiment...

12/02/2025

A new paper (co-authored by Drs. Mengchu Li, Kelsey Kochan, Manoj Puthenveedu, John Traynor, and more) was recently published in Molecular Pharmacology. The paper, “Effects of two structurally diverse positive allosteric modulators on signaling bias at the μ-opioid receptor” can be found here:

The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is responsible for the analgesic actions of opioid drugs as well as their unwanted actions, including respiratory depression and addiction liability. Following agonist occupancy, MOR can signal via G-protein and/or β-arrestin. However, MOR agonists may show an imbalance...

12/02/2025

A new paper (co-authored by Drs. Anthony Rosenzweig, Jorge Ruas, and more) was recently published in Cell Reports. The paper, “Sensory-neuron-derived CGRPα controls white adipocyte differentiation and tissue plasticity” can be found here:

Communication between the brain and adipose tissue is mediated in part by the peripheral nervous system. The sympathetic branch transmits lipolytic and thermogenic signals toward adipose tissue, while sensory nerves relay information to the central nervous system. Importantly, sensory nerve activati...

12/02/2025

A new paper (co-authored by Dr. Peter Scott and more) was recently published in Chemical Communications. The paper, “Synthesis of 11C-epoxides, aziridines, and cyclopropanes from structurally modified 11C-sulfur ylides” can be found here:

A method for the radiosynthesis of 11C-epoxides, aziridines, and cyclopropanes is described. Through generating 11C-methyl sulfonium salts and corresponding sulfur ylides, the formation of 11C-epoxides is possible in moderate-to-high radiochemical conversions. This m...