Lorena M. Amaral

Dr. Lorena M. Amaral serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Medicine. She holds significant leadership roles including Associate Program Director for the Maternal Fetal Medicine track in the Master in Clinical Science Investigation program, Chair of the SOM Curriculum Program Evaluation Subcommittee, and membership on the Pharmacology Graduate Admission Committee and SOM Curriculum Foundation Science Committee.

Her educational background includes:

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pharmacology, University of Mississippi Medical Center (2017)
• PhD in Pharmacology, University of Sao Paulo (2012)
• MS in Pharmacology, University of Sao Paulo (2010)
• PharmD in Pharmacist, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (2008)

Dr. Amaral's research program focuses on translational investigations of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, with particular emphasis on preeclampsia pathophysiology and novel therapeutic targets. Her work integrates immunology, cardiovascular physiology, and mitochondrial biology to explore mechanisms involving immune cell activation (B cells, T cells, natural killer cells), autoantibody production (AT1-AA), and inflammatory pathways. She has pioneered research on progesterone and its derivatives as potential therapeutics, examining their effects on inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and placental ischemia.

Analysis of her publication record reveals dominant research themes in immune-mediated hypertension during pregnancy, with increasing focus on cellular mechanisms (B/T cell interactions), mitochondrial dysfunction across maternal organs, and therapeutic interventions targeting progesterone pathways. Recent work demonstrates significant contributions to understanding how immune cells drive multiorgan damage and cognitive dysfunction in preeclampsia.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized through:

• Fellowship in the American Heart Association (FAHA)
• Caroline tum Suden/Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award from the American Physiological Society
• International Society for Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy President Award for Outstanding Basic Science Oral Presentation
• Career Development Award from the American Heart Association

Dr. Amaral actively mentors graduate students and MD fellows, serving on advisory committees for Nathan Campbell, Owen Herrock, Dylan Solise, and James Hogg. Her research program is supported by multiple NIH grants including R01 funding for projects investigating progesterone-mediated anti-inflammatory effects as therapy for hypertensive pregnancy disorders, novel pharmacological treatments for preeclampsia, and mechanisms of sex differences in offspring from hypertensive pregnancies. She also directs NIH-funded clinical investigation training programs.

She maintains active laboratory operations within UMMC's Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, collaborating with the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research and the Center of Excellence in Perinatal Research. Her team employs advanced techniques including placental ischemia rat models, immune cell profiling, mitochondrial bioenergetics assessment, and translational biomarker studies.