Julia Pietromicca, a Buffalo native, Presidential Fellow, and fourth-year PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at UB, conducts research in the Vascular Mechanobiology laboratory. She designs in vitro assays to replicate the cellular mechanochemical environment and better understand the molecular mechanisms that lead to cardiovascular disease. Her focus is on the role of plasma membrane lipids in regulating vascular endothelial cells under hypertension, and how deregulation of these pathways can lead to cell dysfunction and heart failure. Julia collaborates with members of the Drug Discovery Center at Johns Hopkins on drug preclinical testing using the endothelial cell model of hypertension in her lab at UB. Through her efforts, she hopes to promote the design and application of cellular assays and bring better drugs to the market for the prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Giving back to Western New York is very important to Julia. As a member of the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) outreach committee, she volunteers at local schools and community events to foster a passion for STEM for young children. She has mentored many undergraduate students from various science and engineering majors, including students from the CLIMB summer program, teaching scientific communication, writing, and bioengineering skills. In 2023, she was honored with the Olga Lindberg Scholarship by the Buffalo branch of the American Association of University Women for her outstanding academic performance and commitment to supporting women in the Buffalo community.

Julia aspires to use her PhD and training to promote success and growth in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, further developing the region as a hub for start-ups and large corporations. Through her continuing dedication and volunteerism, Julia hopes to promote scientific literacy and social entrepreneurship to ignite changes that will empower Western New York’s greatest asset: its people.