Norma Adragna, Ph.D., named interim chair of Wright State University Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

The Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine has named Norma Adragna, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, effective April 1, 2013.

Adragna also is a professor of pharmacology and toxicology and director of the cell biophysics group at the medical school. She has been affiliated with the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology since 1985, when she was hired as an associate professor.

Before her appointment at the medical school, Adragna was a Fogarty Fellow and research associate at Harvard Medical School and assistant professor at Duke University.

“Dr. Adragna’s long service to the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Boonshoft School of Medicine has prepared her well for this role,” said Marjorie Bowman, M.D., M.P.A., dean of the Boonshoft School of Medicine. “Her previous service at Harvard Medical School and Duke University, along with her strong research portfolio make her an excellent choice for this position.”

She earned her doctorate in biochemistry from the National University of Córdoba in Argentina.

Adragna’s field of expertise is ion transport in vascular cells. Ion transport is the movement of salts and other electrolytes within living systems. Her research interest involves the role of ion transport abnormalities in the cause and treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, sickle cell anemia, Alzheimer’s disease and the mechanism of aging. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Heart Association and private funding.

Since 2000, Adragna has been chair of the faculty affairs and development committee in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She has trained many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology.

Adragna has published numerous papers in scientific journals and presented the results of her research at national and international scientific meetings. She has served on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology and currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry.