New faculty spotlight: Pooneh Bagher, PhD

Pooneh Bagher, PhD

Pooneh Bagher, PhD, is a new faculty member at UNMC.

  • Name: Pooneh Bagher, PhD
  • Hometown: La Porte, Texas
  • Title and department at UNMC: Associate professor of cellular and integrative physiology, director of the vascular research program for UNMC’s Center for Heart and Vascular Research

Research/professional interests: Vascular function in physiological, pathophysiological and extreme physiological conditions, such as spaceflight.

How I fell in love with vascular physiology: I became interested in microvascular physiology as an undergraduate student in the laboratory of Terrence Sweeney, PhD. At that time, I read Dr. Robert Furchgott’s Nobel Prize-winning work on the role of the endothelium and nitric oxide on blood vessel function. My fascination with the endothelium was sparked.

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science, University of Scranton, Neuroscience and Biomathematics
  • PhD, Cornell University, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
  • Post-doctoral, University of Missouri, Medical Pharmacology and Physiology
  • Post-doc, University of Oxford, Pharmacology

Memberships:

  • Microcirculatory Society (President-Elect)
  • International Society for Gravitational Physiology (Board of Directors)
  • American Physiological Society

Three things people may not know about me:

  • I was a professional radio DJ.
  • I have two cats, Zeus and Gizmo.
  • I enjoy going to art museums and listening to a wide variety of music.