Meet the 2026 Awardee: Arpita Roy, PhD, MSc
Arpita Roy, PhD, MSc is a cardiopulmonary vascular scientist whose research focuses on uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive pulmonary vascular disease. Her work integrates vascular biology, angiogenesis, and intercellular signaling to understand how endothelial and perivascular cell interactions maintain microvascular stability and how their disruption contributes to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and related cardiopulmonary disorders. Dr. Roy earned her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India in 2022. Her doctoral research focused on developing therapeutic strategies to restore vascular integrity following toxic environmental injury. She demonstrated that pro-angiogenic europium hydroxide nanorods could rescue cadmium-induced endothelial damage, cardiotoxicity, and impaired wound healing by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing nitric oxide signaling, and promoting angiogenesis. This work provided important mechanistic insights into endothelial dysfunction and vascular repair and contributed to several peer-reviewed publications in vascular biology and nanomedicine. Following her doctoral training, Dr. Roy pursued postdoctoral research at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, where she investigated lymphatic–epicardial signaling in cardiac development. Her work advanced understanding of how lymphatic-derived cues regulate epicardial integrity and cardiac tissue growth, highlighting the broader role of vascular–stromal interactions in organ development. Dr. Roy is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, where she studies pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Her research investigates how dysregulation of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) signaling disrupts Wnt mediated pericyte function, leading to microvascular instability and pathological vascular remodeling in PAH. Through her interdisciplinary research, Dr. Roy aims to identify new therapeutic targets that restore vascular stability and advance treatment strategies for pulmonary vascular diseases.
Description
This award is given to the highest rated abstract in the Pulmonary Hypertension category submitted to the Assembly on Pulmonary Circulation.