Angelia Lockett graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Jackson State University prior to obtaining a PhD in Cellular and Integrative Physiology at IUSOM. During, Dr. Lockett’s postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine, she trained with Dr. Irina Petrache, MD to investigate the intracellular mechanisms that both protect against and promote the development of COPD, with a focus on chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The goal of her research project was to investigate novel mechanisms explaining the protective functions of α-1 antitrypsin (A1AT), the endogenous inhibitor of neutrophil elastase, against the development and progression of emphysema. Specifically, she investigated A1AT regulation of pulmonary endothelial cell responses to injury and inflammation.
Dr. Lockett was promoted to Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology where she worked with Dr. Susan Gunst, PhD. Her research goal was to identify the mechanisms by which neutrophil elastase mediates pathological processes in the lungs to promote reactive airway disease and to determine if its’ endogenous inhibitor, A1AT, was protective. Building upon the knowledge and experience gained during the postdoctoral training, Dr. Lockett developed and establish a new experimental airway smooth muscle tissue model of investigating the role of neutrophil elastase in ASM tissue function and phenotype in order to identify the molecular mechanisms by which it mediates airway hyperreactivity.
Dr. Lockett is currently an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine at IUSOM where she is mentored by Dr. Roberto Machado, MD. Her research interest is to investigate the etiology of the vascular abnormalities that lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension and to identify molecules or pathways to target to improve the life expectancy of PAH patients. She is specifically interested in identifying the role of maladaptive functioning of metabolic pathways involving mitochondria in PAH pathogenesis and whether differences in mitochondrial gene expression and function exists in minority PAH patients which leads to higher mortality. Dr. Lockett recently received a Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) and a PRIDE AGOLD Institute Award to pursue her research goals.
