Dr. Jessica Gambardella is the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author for the November 2021 issue.  She is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine (Cardiology) and the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr. Gaetano Santulli. Dr. Gambardella earned her Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Medicine and Translational Medicine at the University of Salerno, Italy. The JPET article that earned her selection as a Highlighted Trainee Author is titled “A Retinoic Acid Receptor β2 Agonist Improves Cardiac Function in a Heart Failure Model” and is available at https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.121.000806.

As a predoctoral fellow, Dr. Gambardella’s doctoral work focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction. As a postdoctoral fellow, she expanded her scientific skills and technical capabilities to investigate the pathophysiology of heart failure and metabolic disorders. This work has earned her an American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship, several first-author peer-reviewed publications, and numerous awards.

The current emphasis of Dr. Gambardella’s work is on signaling pathways involved in excitation-contraction coupling, including intracellular calcium. She utilizes top-notch techniques to analyze signaling in living cells, as well as ex vivo and in vitro assays to measure various key processes in different cell types.

The anticipated impact of Dr. Gambardella’s current research is that identifying and targeting new molecular targets in heart failure could lead to novel effective therapeutics in order to eventually translate her research to the clinical scenario.

When not in the lab, Jessica enjoys music and art. She also loves spending time with her family and friends.