Dr. Roberto Levi
Dr. Roberto Levi was born and raised in Italy where he obtained an MD degree and a DSc in Pharmacology from the University of Florence. He did his Postdoctoral training in Pharmacology for two years at Johns Hopkins University Medical School as a Fulbright Scholar. He has spent his entire academic career at Cornell Medical College as a cardiovascular pharmacologist, concentrating his activities in research and teaching. The general research theme of the Levi Lab is the role of endogenous modulators of cardiac adrenergic function. Among these modulators, Dr. Levi has focused on the renin-angiotensin system in the heart and on the role of histamine in cardiac function and dysfunction. He is presently serving as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Hannah Meacher

I am a visiting undergraduate student from the University of Surrey, UK. I am using the human mastocytoma cell line, HMC-1, to study how degranulation is modulated by the activation of various receptors. In particular I am looking at purinergic receptors and the role of ecto-nucleotidases. By investigating mast cell activation in vitro, I hope to understand the mechanisms behind renin release by cardiac mast cells during ischemia. I also assist in the daily running of the lab, and am really enjoying my time here.

Christopher Morrey
I am a Visiting Graduate Student from the University of Surrey, UK. I received my BSc (Honours) in Pharmacology from the University of Leeds (2005) with industrial experience in the safety testing of novel chemical entities in cardiac and respiratory models. My work in Dr Levi’s lab is principally focused on the characterization of the signaling cascades associated with histamine H3-receptor-mediated attenuation of norepinephrine release in the heart. I am learning patch-clamping techniques in Dr. Geoffrey Abbott’s laboratory and I plan to assess whether H3-receptor activation results in a decrease in calcium current in a neuroblastoma cell line.

Dr. Narumi Hobara

Dr. Mariselis Salazar
I am a Visiting Fellow from Venezuela. I very much enjoy working here and I particularly like living in New York City. I have a Pharmacy degree and a MSc in Pharmacology from Central University of Venezuela, where I have worked in cardiovascular pharmacology. I am presently investigating the relevance of a local cardiac renin-angiotensin system activated by renin derived from cardiac mast cells.

Dr. Nahid Seyedi   
I was awarded a PhD in Physiology at New York Medical College in 1994. I then joined Dr. Levi's lab as a Postdoctoral Associate. I am presently a Research Associate.  I developed a technique for the isolation of sympathetic nerve endings from the heart (cardiac synaptosomes). In this model, I investigate the role of various endogenous substances that modulate norepinephrine release from cardiac nerves. Among these substances, I studied the effects of histamine, bradykinin and angiotensin. Presently, I am focusing on the inhibitory role of histamine H₃-receptors and their transductional pathways.  Prevention of norepinephrine release by activation of H₃-receptors on sympathetic nerve terminals is cardioprotective in the ischemic heart.

Dr. Rima Estephan
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow with a PhD in Biochemistry from the City University of New York (2005).  I’m enjoying very much the work environment that we have in Dr. Levi's lab.  Currently, I am investigating the transductional mechanisms involved in the attenuation of norepinephrine exocytosis by the G_i/G_o-coupled histamine H₃-receptor.  I am studying the role of the Gβγ sub-unit by transfecting the Gβγ scavenger (βARK1 minigene) into human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells stably transfected with the H₃-receptor.