Biography
Dr. Resta received his Ph.D. from the UNM School of Medicine in 1995 and continued at UNM on both American Heart Association and NIH postdoctoral fellowships until 1998. Following postdoctoral training, he joined the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology as a research assistant professor in 1998, and as a tenure-track assistant professor in 2000 following a national search. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2006, and to Professor in 2012. Dr. Resta was appointed Senior Associate Dean for Research Education at the School of Medicine in 2020, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research in 2022, and was named a Regents' Professor in 2022.
Personal Statement
Dr. Resta has established a productive NIH-funded research program to understand mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive lung diseases, sleep apnea, and high-altitude exposure. He has been actively engaged in cardiovascular research since 1990 and has served as PI on multiple NIH R01 grants and other national-level awards over the past 25 years. His research has appreciated broad-based recognition by the national and international scientific community, exemplified by service on a variety of NIH and American Heart Association study sections, associate editor and editorial board memberships, selection as a Fellow of the American Heart Association, as Fellow of the American Physiological Society, invited seminars and symposia, and leadership roles on national science committees. His research accomplishments have been recognized by the Faculty Research Excellence Award for Basic Science Research, the highest research recognition bestowed at the Health Sciences Center. He later received the UNM Regents' Professorship in 2022, celebrating remarkable contributions across the principal domains of academic pursuit: teaching, scholarly works, and administrative service to the University. In 2024, Dr. Resta received the UNM Faculty Research Award, which recognizes exceptional achievements and significant contributions in research by UNM faculty.
Dr. Resta has also made meritorious contributions to graduate, medical, and undergraduate education and junior faculty development at UNM. He has served in many curriculum development and educational administrative positions at the UNM Health Sciences Center, including Chair of the Cardiovascular/Pulmonary/Renal Block in the Phase I medical curriculum, as director of several Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP) courses, and as a member of both BSGP and MD/PhD steering committees. Nationally he serves on advisory boards for NIH diversity training programs in research education.
His former undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees have been highly successful in obtaining extramural training fellowships (NIH F30, F31s; American Heart Association pre- and post-doctoral fellowships), both mentored (NIH K01, Parker B. Francis Fellowship, NIH P20 INBRE) and independent NIH grants (R01s), and industry, government, and faculty-level academic positions. In addition, he is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded T32 Minority Institutional Research Training Grant that supports both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Dr. Resta has also been actively involved as a mentor and teacher in our BSGP, MD/PhD program, UPN Program, and medical curriculum for many years, and has received the School of Medicine’s Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for his contributions to both the BSGP and Phase I medical curriculum. In 2017, he was presented the William G. Dail Award for outstanding and lasting contributions as a teacher, mentor, and leader in the medical and graduate education programs at the UNM School of Medicine.
As Senior Associate Dean for Research Education, Dr. Resta has led innovative programs in research education, including the Undergraduate Pipeline Network (UPN), Undergraduate Research Experience in Biomedical Sciences (UREBS), Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP; confers MS and PhD degrees), our recently expanded MD/PhD Program, Certificate in University Science Teaching (CUST), Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), and MS in Clinical Research (MSCR) programs at the School of Medicine. He recently developed a new Postdoctoral Affairs program that, in collaboration with the Central Campus Office of the Vice President for Research, provides improved support, oversight, and campus-wide training opportunities for postdoctoral scholars. More recently, Dr. Resta was appointed Interim Senior Associate Dean for Research at the School of Medicine where he leads faculty research support initiatives and programs.
Areas of Specialty
Vascular physiology
Pulmonary hypertension
Vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cell signaling
Achievements & Awards
Editorships and Editorial Board Memberships
2020-present: Member, Editorial Board, Antioxidants
2017-present: Editor, Comprehensive Physiology, Respiration Section: Pulmonary Circulation/Non-Respiratory Functions
2010-present: Member, Editorial Board, Pulmonary Circulation
2011-2014: Member, Editorial Board, Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol.
2004-2008: Member, Editorial Board, Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.
2004-2007: Editor, American Thoracic Society, Pulmonary Circulation Assembly On-Line Journal Club, Pulmonary Hypertension/Vascular Remodeling Section
Reviewing for National Funding Organizations
2024: NIH-NHLBI R35 Outstanding Investigator Awards Review Panel
2022: NIH-NHLBI K01 Diversity Grants Review Panel
2019-present: NIH-NHLBI T32 Diversity Training Grants Review Panel
2019: NIH-NHLBI Pulmonary Diseases Special Emphasis Review Panel
2016-2021: NIH-NHLBI T32 Training Grants Special Emphasis Review Panels
2004, 2008, 2018: NIH-NHLBI Respiratory Integrative Biology and Translational Research (RIBT) Study Section
2012-2014: National Peer Review Committee, American Heart Association, Lung Respiration and Resuscitation
2007-2008: American Heart Association Lung Resuscitation and Respiration National Peer Review Committee
External Advisory Committees
2023: Panel Member, Strategies for increasing and maintaining T32 diversity, NIH Division of Cardiovascular Sciences T32 Directors Meeting, 2023
2018-present: Member, Advisory Board, NIH/NHLBI Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Diversity Training Programs. Rockville, MD
2017- 2023: Member, Advisory Board, NIH R25 HL084762 “Short-term Training Program to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Researchâ€. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, L.A. Shimoda, PI
Administrative Work with Professional Societies
2021-present: Member, Fellows (FAPS) Committee, American Physiological Society
2021-present: Member, Steering Committee, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2018: Member, Awards Committee, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2016-2018: Member, American Heart Association National Portfolio Management Subcommittee Commission
2014-2015: Past Chair, American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate Research Committee
2013-2014: Chair, American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate Research Committee
2013-2014: Member, American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate Board of Directors
2010-2014: Member, Committee on Committees, American Physiological Society
2008-2014: Member, Steering Committee, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2011-2013: Vice Chair, American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate Research Committee
2008-2012: Member, Program Committee, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2008-2010: Chair, Nominations Committee, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2007-2010: Member, American Heart Association South Central Affiliate Research Committee
Honors:
2024: Faculty Research Award, University of New Mexico
2022-present: Regents’ Professor, University of New Mexico
2020-present: Learning Environment Office Teaching Excellence Recognition Award, UNM School of Medicine
2019: Faculty Research Excellence Award for Basic Science Research, UNM Health Sciences Center
2019: HIPPO Award, Best Lecturer as voted by the UNM M.D. Class of 2021.
2019: Fellow of the American Physiological Society (FAPS)
2017-2020: William G. Dail Endowed Professorship for outstanding and lasting contributions as a teacher, mentor and leader in the UNM School of Medicine medical and graduate education programs.
2014: Educational Excellence Award for Faculty Teaching, Phase I Medical Curriculum, UNM School of Medicine.
2013: Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA)
2010: Fellow of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute
2010: Educational Excellence Award for Faculty, Teaching, Phase I Medical Curriculum, UNM School of Medicine.
2005: American Physiological Society Respiration Section New Investigator Award
2004: Educational Excellence Award for Faculty, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, UNM School of Medicine.
2000-2003: Parker B. Francis Fellowship in Pulmonary Research, Harvard School of Public Health
Key Publications
Journal Article
Norton, C, E Sheak, Joshua, Yan, S, Weise-Cross, L, Jernigan, Nikki, Walker, B, R Resta, Thomas, C. 2020 Augmented Pulmonary Vasoconstrictor Reactivity after Chronic Hypoxia Requires Src Kinase and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, vol. 62, Issue 1, 61-73 https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1165/rcmb.2018-0106OC?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed
Journal Article
Snow, J, B Norton, C, E Sands, M, A Weise-Cross, L, Yan, S, Herbert, L, M Sheak, Joshua, Gonzalez Bosc, Laura, Walker, B, R Kanagy, Nancy, Jernigan, Nikki, Resta, Thomas, C. 2020 Intermittent Hypoxia Augments Pulmonary Vasoconstrictor Reactivity through PKCbeta/Mitochondrial Oxidant Signaling. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, vol. 62, Issue 6, 732-746 https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1165/rcmb.2019-0351OC?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed
Journal Article
Zhang, B, Naik, J, S Jernigan, Nikki, Walker, B, R Resta, Thomas, C. 2018 Reduced membrane cholesterol after chronic hypoxia limits Orai1-mediated pulmonary endothelial Ca(2+) entry. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, vol. 314, Issue 2, H359-H369 https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00540.2017?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org
Journal Article
Sheak, Joshua, Yan, S, Weise-Cross, L, Ahmadian - not faculty disabled 5-18-22, Rosstin, Walker, B, R Jernigan, Nikki, Resta, Thomas, C. 2020 PKCbeta and reactive oxygen species mediate enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor reactivity following chronic hypoxia in neonatal rats. American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology, vol. 318, Issue 2, H470-H483 https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00629.2019?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org
Journal Article
Norton, C, E Weise-Cross, L, Ahmadian - not faculty disabled 5-18-22, Rosstin, Yan, S, Jernigan, Nikki, Paffett, M, L Naik, J, S Walker, B, R Resta, Thomas, C. 2020 Altered Lipid Domains Facilitate Enhanced Pulmonary Vasoconstriction after Chronic Hypoxia. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, vol. 62, Issue 6, 709-718
Gender
Male
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Course Director and Lecturer, Cardiovascular/Pulmonary/Renal Block, Phase I Medical Curriculum, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Course Director and Lecturer, Advanced Topics in Cellular and Systems Physiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Course Director, Cardiovascular Biology Journal Club/Seminar, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Course Director and Lecturer, Graduate Physiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Research and Scholarship
Dr. Resta's laboratory employs a wide array of technical approaches to assess mechanisms of pulmonary vascular function and pulmonary hypertension, including measurement of hemodynamic variables in conscious, chronically instrumented rats, simultaneous assessment of vasoreactivity and vessel wall [Ca2+]i in isolated, pressurized small pulmonary arteries, and a variety of cellular imaging and molecular approaches to study both Ca2+ and oxidant signaling in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Below is a link to Dr. Resta's complete published work, along with some representative publications:
Complete List of Published Work (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=resta+tc+OR+%28resta+t+AND+bosc+lv+AND+kanagy%29&sort=pubdate)
Chronic hypoxia imparts myogenicity and augments vasoconstriction: role for membrane cholesterol regulation of a novel oxidant signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle
Weise-Cross L, Sands MA, Sheak JR, Broughton BRS, Snow JB, Gonzalez Bosc LV, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Actin polymerization contributes to enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor reactivity following chronic hypoxia. Am J Physiol. 314:H1011-H1021, 2018. (Associated Editorial: Aaronson PI. Actin polymerization contributes to ROS- and Rho-dependent Ca2+ sensitization in pulmonary arteries from chronic hypoxic rats. Am J Physiol. 515(2):H314-H317, 2018)
Norton CE, Sheak JR, Yan S, Weise-Cross L, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Augmented pulmonary vasoconstrictor reactivity following chronic hypoxia requires Src kinase and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 62(1):61-73, 2020. (Associated Editorial: Gao Y, Raj JU. Src and EGFR: Novel partners in mediating chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery hypertension. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 62(1):5-7, 2020.)
Norton CE, Weise-Cross L, Ahmadian R, Yan S, Jernigan NL, Paffett ML, Naik JS, Walker BR, Resta TC. Altered lipid domains facilitate enhanced pulmonary vasoconstriction following chronic hypoxia. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 62(6):709-718, 2020. (Associated Editorial: Grimmer B, Kuebler WM. Cholesterol - a novel regulator of vasoreactivity in pulmonary arteries. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 62(6):671-673, 2020.)
Yan S, Sheak JR, Walker BR, Jernigan NL, Resta TC. Contribution of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species to chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Antioxidants.12(12):2060, 2023.
Mechanisms of enhanced pulmonary vasoreactivity following chronic intermittent hypoxia and in neonatal pulmonary hypertension: role of PKCbeta and mitochondrial ROS signaling
Sheak JR, Yan S, Weise-Cross L, Ahmadian R, Walker BR, Jernigan NL, Resta TC. PKCbeta and reactive oxygen species mediate enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor reactivity following chronic hypoxia in neonatal rats. Am J Physiol. 318 (2), H470-H483, 2020. (APSselect Award for distinction in scholarship)
Snow JB, Norton CE, Sands SA, Weise-Cross L, Yan S, Herbert LM, Sheak JR, Gonzalez Bosc LV, Walker BR, Kanagy NL, Jernigan NL, Resta TC. Intermittent hypoxia augments pulmonary vasoconstrictor reactivity through PKCbeta/mitochondrial oxidant signaling. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 62(6):732-746, 2020.
Reduced membrane cholesterol following chronic hypoxia impairs pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ entry: implications for endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension
Zhang B, Naik JS, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Reduced membrane cholesterol limits pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ entry following chronic hypoxia. Am J Physiol 312(6):H1176-H1184, 2017.
Zhang B, Naik JS, Jernigan NL, Walker BR, Resta TC. Reduced membrane cholesterol following chronic hypoxia limits Orai1-mediated pulmonary endothelial Ca2+ entry. Am J Physiol. 314(2):H350-H369, 2018.