Written by Joanie Martin, Ph.D.
Hi! I’m Joanie Martin, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Nephrology. My journey in science has been fueled by a lifelong curiosity about how things work, from household gadgets to the complexities of living systems. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, where that curiosity really took root.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Laboratory Animal Science from North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) State University in 2015. It was during that time that I got my first real exposure to research, and I immediately fell in love with the process of asking questions and seeking answers through science. I stayed at NC A&T to complete a Master’s in Agricultural and Environmental Science in 2017, where I studied gut immunity using swine as a translational model. That experience deepened my interest in host-pathogen interactions and sparked a passion for translational research.
I went on to earn my PhD from Meharry Medical College in 2024, where my dissertation work focused on understanding the role of host proteins in protecting against HIV-1 infection. This project led to a first author publication in Viruses titled The Dissociation of A3G-Related HIV-1 cDNA G-to-A Hypermutation to Viral Infectivity. Additionally, that training gave me a strong foundation in molecular biology, immunology, and virology, which are tools that I now apply in my current work.
As a postdoc, my research focuses on sex-specific purinergic signaling in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells. I am also involved in research focused on circadian blood pressure regulation in pregnant and postpartum mice. I am excited to be part of a projects that could lead to new insights into renal and cardiovascular physiology and disease.
My journey so far has been shaped by curiosity, perseverance, and the support of incredible mentors and colleagues. I am looking forward to continuing to grow as a scientist and to contributing meaningful work that helps us better understand health and disease.