In This Section

Amy C. Arnold

Current Position

Associate Professor, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Degrees/Institutes

  • BS in Biochemistry, Pacific University, 2004
  • PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University, 2009
  • MS in Clinical Investigation, Vanderbilt University, 2014

ASPET member since: 2006

Administrative Accomplishments

Since becoming a faculty member in 2016, Amy C. Arnold, PhD. has been appointed to several leadership roles within the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine including Associate Director of the Comprehensive Health Studies Program, Assistant Director of the Metabolic Phenotyping Core, and Assistant Director of the American Heart Association Undergraduate Summer Fellowship program. Dr. Arnold currently serves on editorial boards for six journals within the fields of cardiovascular and autonomic regulation (Hypertension, American Journal of Hypertension, Physiological Genomics, Frontiers in Physiology, Clinical Autonomic Research, Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical) as well as having served on study sections for the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and American Heart Association.

Research Areas

Her translational research program examines the neural mechanisms of blood pressure regulation, with the ultimate goal of developing more targeted treatments for cardiovascular-related diseases such as hypertension and obesity. More specifically, her research has focused on the ability of renin-angiotensin system peptides, such as angiotensin-(1-7), to interact with the autonomic nervous system to influence cardiovascular control using a multi-disciplinary and integrative approach combining molecular tools, animal models, and human subjects. Additionally, her laboratory is interested in identifying the underlying mechanisms and novel treatment approaches for patients with cardiovascular autonomic disorders such as primary autonomic failure, Parkinson’s disease, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Her research to date has resulted in over 70 peer-reviewed publications, several national awards and invited seminars, and continuous extramural funding since 2011 from the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association. Dr. Arnold is also passionate about the importance of connecting research, teaching, and service and mentor trainees at the undergraduate, graduate, medical, and postdoctoral levels in translational pharmacology-based cardiovascular research.

ASPET Activities

  • ASPET Long Range Planning Committee, 2011
  • Organizer and Chair of “Orthostatic Intolerance” Symposium for ASPET Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at Experimental Biology, 2013
  • Reviewer for ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow Awards, 2013-2014
  • Executive Committee for ASPET Division of Pharmacology Education, 2013-2017
  • Secretary/Treasurer for ASPET Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 2017-2020
  • Organizer and Chair of “Cardiovascular Consequences of Metabolic Targeting in Obesity” Symposium for ASPET Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology at Experimental Biology, 2018
  • ASPET Nominating Committee, 2019-2020
  • Member of the Executive Committee for ASPET Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology [served as chair of recruitment subcommittee], 2009-Present
  • Judge for the “Trainee Showcase” in the ASPET Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 2017-Present 

Other Society Memberships/Activities

  • Member of the American Heart Association, 2007-Present
  • Member of the American Physiological Society, 2007-Present
  • Member of the American Autonomic Society, 2011-Present
  • Membership Committee, American Autonomic Society, 2013-Present
  • Meeting and Programming Committees, American Autonomic Society, 2017-Present
  • Membership and Communications Committee, Council on Hypertension, American Heart Association, 2019-Present
  • Board of Directors, American Autonomic Society, 2019-Present
  • Career Opportunities in Physiology Committee, American Physiological Society, 2020-Present

Personal Statement

I have been actively involved in ASPET since 2006, which has spanned my graduate studies in integrative pharmacology and physiology, postdoctoral fellowship in clinical pharmacology, and current independent faculty position with translational research focused on cardiovascular autonomic regulation. I have been involved in substantial ASPET service activities over the past 15 years including: Member, Secretary-Treasurer, and Chair of the Recruitment subcommittee for the Division of Cardiovascular Pharmacology Executive Committee; Member of the Division of Pharmacology Education Executive Committee; and member of the Nominating Committee. As part of these committees, I gained experience in leadership, research, education, and strategic planning initiatives related to pharmacology. I have also been effective in organizing symposia at the annual meetings on evolving topics of importance in pharmacology research while ensuring balance in terms of speaker diversity and career stage. I am dedicated, motivated, have strong organizational skills, have led and organized collaborative teams within my division, and have optimized research and career development resources for trainees and investigators at all stages. Of note, I am a translational scientist with expertise and connections spanning preclinical and clinical pharmacology research and thus also bring a unique perspective in terms of enhancing outreach, increasing a diverse membership, and promoting exciting and cutting-edge science. Overall, I have made significant contributions to ASPET that I believe make me an ideal candidate to serve as Councilor.

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