Education
Ph.D., Physiology, University of Minnesota, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, (exp 11/2026)
Thesis: : “Mechanistic Basis for EPA Cardioprotection: Cardiac myocyte autonomous Ffar4-18-HEPE/RvE1-ChemR23 signaling”
Advisor: Timothy O'Connell, PhD
MS, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota, 2023
BS, Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, 2021
Awards / Funding
- Cardiovascular Trainee Showcase, first place - American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2026
- Place Guppy Tank Pitch Competition, first place – American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2025
- Graduate student poster competition, first place - Cardiovascular Retreat (Cardio Palooza), 2025
- Cardiovascular Trainee Showcase, second place – American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2025
- Graduate student poster competition, second place - Cardiovascular Retreat (Cardio Palooza), 2025
- UMN Graduate and Professional Studies Office Research Grant, 2024
Publications
- Puccini SJ, Harsch BA, Malaviya M, Healy CL, Weir NL, Krishnan N, Ahsan A, Ahmed AR, Shearer GC, and O'Connell TD. Mechanistic Basis for EPA Cardioprotection: Cardiac myocyte autonomous Ffar4-18-HEPE/RvE1-ChemR23 signaling. 2026. In preparation
- Zhang MJ*, Puccini SJ*, Karachenets S, Gyberg DJ, Pakkiriswami S, Sumera MK, Gemilere R, Weir NL, Torres SL, Healy CL, Wu SC, Liu JC, Shearer GC, O’Connell TD. Free fatty acid receptor 4 in cardiac myocytes ameliorates ischemic cardiomyopathy. Cardiovascular Research. 2026. PMID: 42605185
*= Equal Contribution
- Puccini SJ, Healy CL, Harsch BA, Ahmed AR, Shearer GC, and O'Connell TD. A Cell Autonomous Free fatty acid receptor 4 - ChemR23 Signaling Cascade Protects Cardiac Myocytes from Ischemic Injury. bioRxiv. 2025.
- O’Connell TD, Murphy KA, Zhang N, Puccini SJ, Healy CL, Harsch BA, Zhang MJ, and Shearer GC. Fatty acids are more than just an energy source for the heart: Free Fatty acid receptor 4 signaling is cardioprotective. Physiology PMID: 3594400