Pharmaceutical Sciences Student Thrives in Research and Leadership

Ishita Kathuria was deeply influenced by her family's history of heart disease to pursue cardiovascular research. 

"Growing up in a family prone to cardiac disorders motivated me to delve into the underlying mechanisms of these conditions with the hope of contributing to their cure," Kathuria said.

Her pursuit of pharmacy stemmed from her curiosity about the origins of diseases and cures.

"I realized this is the place where everything starts. I was always curious, what are the root causes and how does everything begin? And the only answer to that was pharmacy. You're looking for mechanisms, you're looking into diseases and pathologies, and you can lead to the cure," Kathuria said. 

Kathuria, who is from India, graduated with her bachelor's in pharmacy from Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University. Now, she is studying for her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and the College of Graduate Health Sciences. 

"UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy has a good ranking, coursework, and more than that, I was looking at the different fields of research that was going on here, and the lab that I'm currently working in was one of the labs that I was interested in," she said. "So, getting an opportunity to work in the area of atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular chronic inflammatory disease, was one of the major factors that pulled me to UT Health Science Center."

She is conducting research in the lab of Bhupesh Singla, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.  "That is the biggest joy, to do something you always wanted to do. To have an opportunity to be in the lab and contribute to a greater well-being."

One of her projects investigates how the molecular mechanisms of myeloid cells contribute to vascular inflammation and the development of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries. "It is the root cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, it needs immediate resolution. There are drugs in the market, but they don't target every aspect of this disease pathogenesis, so we need more specific and effective therapeutic options," she said. 

Last year, Kathuria was awarded a $5,000 grant from the College of Graduate Health Sciences for her independent research project on macrophage signaling in metabolic dysfunction-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to identify mechanisms that regulate the development of the disease.

She was awarded first place in the poster presentation competition in the atherosclerosis category at the 2024 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference. She also received a travel award from the College of Graduate Health Sciences to the American Heart Association Vascular Discovery conference last year.

In December, Ishita won first place in the College of Graduate Health Sciences' 3-Minute Thesis competition, which challenges participants to describe their thesis in three minutes. Her presentation also tied for People's Choice.

"Ishita is a dedicated and hardworking graduate student. The efforts she put into research work and learning new things are clearly reflected in her current skillset, research progress, and achievements," Dr. Singla said. "She always views challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Without a doubt, she will set the bar high for incoming students in the lab."

The research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program exemplifies one of various opportunities for students, which stood out to her. 

"We have different student societies like GSEC (Graduate Student Executive Council), International Students Association, Toastmasters, and different competitions like Three-Minute Thesis, poster presentations at Graduate Research Day, and you can attend different conferences. So, what stood out to me was not just about one aspect, but about overall growth," she said. "Like my mentor, Dr. Singla, or our Program Director Hassan Almoazen, PhD, and Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences Donald Thomason, PhD, they all keep motivating you to not just restrict yourself to one particular segment, but expose yourself to different ideologies, opportunities - and they are at the back end to help you go ahead which makes all the difference."

Kathuria is also a leader and was recently elected president of both the Graduate Student Executive Council and the International Students Association at UT Health Science Center. She served as the track representative for Pharmaceutical Sciences, secretary and treasurer for the Toastmasters chapter at UT Health Science Center, and the College of Graduate Health Sciences college representative for Asian American Students of Health Science. 

"Ishita is an outstanding example of a student who has embraced the various career advancement opportunities we provide, including her research, the entrepreneurship course, independent research project funding, alumni engagement, Career Insights participation, GSEC leadership, among others," Dean Thomason said. "We are very proud of her accomplishments."

This story was originally featured in the spring 2025 issue of the College of Graduate Health Sciences Magazine.