Each month, the editors of three of the ASPET journals choose their Highlighted Trainee Authors. These early-career scientists are recognized for their innovative research published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, and Molecular Pharmacology. This feature showcases selected young scientists, demonstrates what drives them, and reveals why pharmacology is important to them. This month we are featuring the September 2025 Highlighted Trainee Authors.
Lawrence Carey
The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Lawrence Carey, a Senior Research Scientist/Study Director at Charles River Laboratories, has always had an interest in science from a young age and, as he progressed through school, the brain/central nervous system really stuck with him. As an undergraduate student, he became involved in a neuropharmacology lab and gained appreciation for the process of discovery/scientific inquiry and the potential to improve people’s lives through the generation of novel therapeutics. Carey also credits the guidance and inspiration of his mentors, particularly his undergraduate advisor Adam Prus, graduate advisor Andrea Hohmann, and postdoctoral advisor Charles France, who each imparted their own unique blend of advice and wisdom that shaped his own.
Carey’s published work was conducted while he was a postdoctoral student at the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center in the lab of Charles France. Most of the medications we currently have that help individuals manage opioid withdrawal symptoms are opioids themselves and thus possess many of the same downsides, such as the potential for abuse/addiction, physical dependence, and appearance of withdrawal symptoms after cessation of use. Research explored whether chemicals present in cannabis might be an effective alternative option to alleviate some of the physiological and behavioral signs of opioid withdrawal.
“This work contributes to a growing body of evidence highlighting the benefits of agents engaging cannabinoid receptors and provides further evidence of the untapped therapeutic potential therein. By conducting this work in a more translationally relevant research model, I hope to bridge the gap between humans and non-humans in our understanding of the actions/effectiveness of cannabinoid-based therapeutics.”
For Carey, being published in ASPET provides the opportunity to share his work with fellow pharmacologists. Sharing this work in an ASPET journal also means the opportunity for future evolution of this research topic, with the goal of translation into human therapies.
Cristina Salmerón
The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
“I have always been passionate about marine mammals and initially aspired to become a Marine Biologist. Although I had some experience working with drugs during my PhD, it was in Professor Martin Tresguerres’ lab that I truly began to explore pharmacology. This marked my entry into the captivating world of cAMP signaling,” shares Cristina Salmerón, a Laboratory Research Associate in the Department of Surgery at Moores Cancer Center at University of California San Diego.
Salmerón later joined Professor Paul Insel’s lab to identify novel G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as potential therapeutic targets for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and led the project focused on the role of histamine H1 receptor in PDAC. Her published research is based on the idea that some drugs already approved for other conditions—such as allergy medications—might also be effective in treating cancer. It explores this possibility, offering a faster and more cost-effective path to new cancer therapies—especially for PDAC, a cancer with very few treatment options.
“The most exciting part of our HRH1 research in PDAC was seeing that a commonly used and inexpensive H1-antihistamine had measurable effects both in vitro—on PDAC cancer cells—and in vivo, using the KPC PDAC mouse model. The most rewarding part is knowing that the work I am doing has the potential to improve treatment options for patients affected by this devastating disease.”
Now in her current role, Salmerón’s work is focused on identifying new treatments for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with KRAS mutations. She aims to apply her expertise in GPCRs and drug repurposing to this project, with the goal of discovering novel and effective therapeutic targets for LUAD.
“When I learned that our article was accepted for publication in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, I was immensely happy. I know that our colleagues in pharmacology recognize the high standards of research published in ASPET journals. Being featured there means our work was conducted with rigorous scientific integrity and can serve as a trustworthy foundation for future studies.”
Cátia Marques
Drug Metabolism and Disposition
Cátia Marques is an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. It was during her undergraduate studies in pharmaceutical sciences that she found a strong interest in laboratory courses, which led her to pursue an experimental component in her dissertation rather than a literature review. To gain experience, she volunteered in a laboratory and was fortunate enough to have mentors who not only served as role models but also helped clarify her goals and pursue them with confidence.
For her postdoc training, Marques joined Dr. Penning’s lab which focuses on a family of proteins called aldo-keto reductases (AKRs). Recent findings show that these enzymes can reduce nitro-groups, and her project investigates the role of AKRs in the metabolism of nitro-containing drugs. “With my recent publication, I hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of AKRs and to highlight that even well-known enzymes can have functions and roles that are not yet fully appreciated.”
The most rewarding part of Marques’ research is seeing how science can truly touch people’s lives. During her PhD, she studied the toxicity of montelukast, a drug widely used to manage asthma in children but linked to neuropsychiatric side effects. Families and advocacy groups from around the world reached out to her, sharing how meaningful her research was to them as they struggled with these side effects while feeling little support.
Now, as an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow, her research has shifted toward carcinogenesis. “The possibility that my work may one day contribute to early cancer detection—by developing a biomarker of exposure for individuals highly exposed to diesel exhaust—is what drives and inspires me every day,” she explains.
When it comes to future plans, Marques shares that she hopes to contribute to training the next generation of researchers by giving back the guidance she received from her mentors and to help demystify science for the broader community.
Having read numerous published works in ASPET journals that shaped and inspired her own research, Marques shares that having her own work published is both highly rewarding and deeply motivating.