Mathieu Panel, PharmD, PhD is The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author for the March 2021 issue. At the time the work was completed, Dr. Panel was a PhD student in the Pharmacology and Technologies for Cardiovascular Diseases group of the Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research (IMRB), France. His mentor is Dr Didier Morin.  The JPET article that earned him selection as a Highlighted Trainee Author is titled “A Phenyl-Pyrrolidine Derivative Reveals a Dual Inhibition Mechanism of Myocardial Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore, which is Limited by its Myocardial Distribution” and is available at https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.120.000359

Dr. Panel’s work allowed him to identify novel small-molecule cyclophilin inhibitors as mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening blockers, exhibiting an interesting mechanism of action, cytoprotective effect in cardiomyocytes and hepatoprotection. For this doctoral work, he received the Drug Science Award from the French National Academy of Pharmacy.

Currently, Dr. Panel is working as a post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Alain Lacampagne’s laboratory (PhyMedExp, Inserm, CNRS, University of Montpellier), France. The aim of his current work is to decipher the mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias, focusing on mitochondrial calcium handling in the context of metabolic syndrome.

The anticipated impact of Dr. Panel’s research is to identify novel cardioprotective therapeutics to prevent ischemia-reperfusion injury. This is of particular interest as this condition remains an unmet medical need and precludes revascularization benefits. These new molecules might also be relevant tools to elucidate mitochondrial permeability transition pore structure and function.

When not in the lab, Mathieu enjoys wilderness hiking, tinkering, gardening, and brewing beers.