Contact
Email: lmartinez6@miami.edu
Roles
Research Assistant Professor
Co-Director, UM Vascular Tissue Biobank
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Biography
Dr. Laisel Martinez was born in Cuba and immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, followed by a Master’s in Biology with a track in molecular biology and population genetics at the same institution. Her undergraduate and graduate research focused on genetic signatures of human population diversity and how these related to human migrations and modern human evolution. These scientific origins sparked her interest in the effects of genetic background and population diversity on susceptibility to disease and response to medications. Following graduate school, Dr. Martinez gained experience in molecular triggers of autoimmunity and vascular manifestations of autoimmune disease while working at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2012, and while continuing her work in science, she pursued a Doctor of Pharmacy at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, graduating in 2016 with honors. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Vascular Biology in the Department of Surgery at the University of Miami (UM), where she was subsequently recruited as Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Martinez is nationally recognized for her work in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) remodeling in hemodialysis patients. She has demonstrated the central role of postoperative fibrosis in AVF failure, and the existence of a unique pro-inflammatory smooth muscle cell phenotype in veins of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients that predisposes for vascular access failure. She oversees a unique biobank of vascular tissues from over 800 hemodialysis patients and more than 350 non-CKD organ donors. She is a mentor in the UM Regenerative Medicine Scholarly Pathway and the UM Kidney Innovative and Interdisciplinary Medical Education in Research Activities (UM-KIIMERA) training program. Dr. Martinez is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society and Rho Chi, the national honor society of pharmacy. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
My teaching interests include the molecular basis of human vascular disease, pharmacotherapy of vascular dysfunction, and targeted delivery of drugs to vascular tissues. I am a research mentor in the University of Miami (UM) Regenerative Medicine Scholarly Pathway and the UM Kidney Innovative and Interdisciplinary Medical Education in Research Activities (UM-KIIMERA) training program. As core member of the UM Department of Surgery and American Society of Nephrology Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees, my laboratory promotes diversity in the biomedical field and welcomes promising students and trainees from all backgrounds. -
Research Interests
My career objective is to identify the biological mechanisms driving maladaptive vessel remodeling in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and how these contribute to cardiovascular disease and poor outcomes after vascular surgeries. Whenever possible, my research combines well-characterized clinical tissues and unbiased multi-omics techniques to derive scientific premises. Using this retro-translational approach, findings from human tissues are further dissected and validated using in vitro experiments and animal models to better understand the origin of human pathologies. My research is supported by strong team science and lasting collaborations with vascular biologists, surgeons, nephrologists, biomedical engineers, and enthusiastic technical staff and students. This combined expertise ensures the quality of experimental data, critical interpretation of results, and pursuit of the most translatable findings. -
Publications
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Professional Activities
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