Larissa Shimoda, MS, PhD
Professor of Medicine, PCCM Director of Research
Johns Hopkins University
1. Three statements about you – two true, one false.
- I never graduated from high school.
- I have four dogs.
- I have driven a racecar.
2. Give us your ‘elevator pitch’ biography.
I was trained as a biomedical engineer and discovered my passion in vascular physiology, where I focus on understanding the cellular mechanisms that regulate pulmonary vascular function. My research centers on pulmonary hypertension, with particular interest in the roles of ion channels and transporters in disease pathogenesis. I am also deeply committed to mentoring and training the next generation of pulmonary investigators.
3. What would you tell yourself as an Early Career Professional?
My advice is to be brave and try something new. Some of the most meaningful growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone. Take intellectual risks—don’t be afraid to learn a new technique, test an unconventional idea, and challenge assumptions. Pushing boundaries not only expands your skill set, but also it can lead to the most exciting discoveries.
4. If you weren’t in medicine, and were in a different industry altogether, what would you be?
I am pretty sure I would be a detective or private investigator…I love puzzles and solving mysteries!
5. What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
During the spring and summer, I love working in the garden and picking raspberries around the yard. It’s a peaceful ritual that helps me slow down, recharge, and find my sense of zen.
6. What areas of medicine are you most excited to see develop?
I am excited by advances in precision and translational medicine that connect fundamental molecular mechanisms to targeted therapies. I’m particularly intrigued by the growing recognition that many proteins have important non-canonical functions, because these findings challenge existing paradigms and can point to previously underappreciated drivers of disease. Discoveries like these both deepen our understanding of biology and open the door to innovative, mechanism-based treatments.
7. What is one advancement in your field you’d like to see in your career?
I hope to see a cure for pulmonary hypertension. I have dedicated my career to understanding the cellular mechanisms that drive this disease, and after losing my sister-in-law to PAH a few years ago, it would be incredibly meaningful to me to see discoveries translate into therapies that spare patients and their families from the suffering it causes.
8. Which statement (in question #2) was false?
I have driven a racecar, and I left high school a year early and needed send proof that I completed a credit of English and History in college to formally receive my high school diploma, but never did it. While we have had a number of dogs over the years, right now we only have two: a Jack Russell and a Corgi.
Dr. Shimoda is a committee member of the Assembly on Pulmonary Circulation Planning Committee and an interest group co-chair on the Pulmonary Circulation Executive Committee.