image: headshot of Abhishek Mishra
Credit: MMRI
UTICA, N.Y. – The American Heart Association (The Association) has awarded a prestigious $160,000 postdoctoral fellowship to Abhishek Mishra, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D., executive director, Gordon K. Moe professor and chair of biomedical research and translational medicine at Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI). This funding will support Dr. Mishra’s ongoing research in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) for two years, a condition that affects millions worldwide.
“We are deeply grateful to the American Heart Association for their recognition of Dr. Mishra’s outstanding research and commitment to advancing cardiovascular science,” said Dr. Kontaridis. “HFpEF is an increasingly prevalent and challenging ailment to treat, especially in patients with comorbidities like obesity and diabetes. This research has the potential to transform the lives of many suffering from this disease.”
“This grant is funding a study which could ultimately affect millions of people worldwide,” said Jennifer Carbone Zuccaro, M.D., president of the Mohawk Valley board of directors of the American Heart Association and a pediatric cardiology and intensive care physician at Golisano Children’s Hospital at SUNY Upstate. “Research is critical to understanding conditions like heart failure, so that we can build a way to diagnose, treat, and improve current therapies. Our continued investment in MMRI and Dr. Kontaridis’ lab fuels our local economy and shows the importance of the work being done in the Mohawk Valley. We are incredibly fortunate to have a lab like MMRI and scientists like Dr. Kontaridis here locally in our community and supported nationally by organizations like the American Heart Association.”
Dr. Mishra’s research builds upon the laboratory’s groundbreaking study in Science Signaling, which identified PTP1B, a key regulator of the heart’s energy balance, as a molecular switch that determines whether the heart uses fat or sugar as fuel. He aims to deepen the mechanistic insights into how PTP1B dysregulation contributes to cardiac dysfunction under metabolic stress in HFpEF.
“Looking ahead, we're excited to move toward the translational potential of PTP1B inhibition, exploring targeted inhibitors as novel therapeutic strategies for cardiometabolic diseases,” said Dr. Mishra. “This could pave the way for clinical interventions that improve patient outcomes in clinical settings. I'm grateful for the American Heart Association’s support in advancing this critical area of cardiovascular science.”
Dr. Mishra joined MMRI in 2024, bringing his expertise in heart failure and potential regenerative therapies. Prior to joining MMRI, he completed his Ph.D. at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.