Georgina Gyarmati, MD, PhD

Dr. Georgina Gyarmati is an assistant professor of research at the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. She received her MD degree from Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary, and her Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US. She completed her postdoctoral training in renal physiology at the University of Southern California. She joined the faculty of USC Keck School of Medicine in 2022.
Dr. Gyarmati’s current research focuses on the characterization and human and preclinical therapeutic translation of a new vascular cell type that she discovered and named neuro-endothelial cell (NEC). This new line of research is consistent with her overall goal to develop new, highly effective, and mechanism-based therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases by the discovery and targeting of novel cell and molecular targets.
Dr. Gyarmati’s main line of research as a postdoctoral fellow in the Peti-Peterdi laboratory identified new neuron-like structural and functional features of the macula densa, a niche of 20-25 MD cells in each nephron functioning as a ganglion-like mini-brain with somatosensory neuroepithelial and neuroendocrine functions. These results suggest that MD cells can sense, process, and communicate a variety of signals in the local and systemic environment to control key renal functions and provide renal sensory input to the central nervous system in a kidney-brain axis.
Dr. Gyarmati has made major contributions to the development of several applications of intravital imaging technology in the Multiphoton Microscopy Core of which she became Assistant Director in 2022. This state-of-the-art and high-power imaging technique allow to quantitatively visualize the most basic (patho)physiological parameters of several organs including the kidney, brain, liver, spleen, and skin.

• Sparsentan improves glomerular hemodynamics, cell functions, and tissue repair in a mouse model of FSGS JCI Insight. 2024 Sep 03; 9(19). . View in PubMed
• See the power in kidney cells with ATP biosensor Kidney Int. 2024 Sep; 106(3):362-364. . View in PubMed
• Angiotensin II Directly Increases Endothelial Calcium and Nitric Oxide in Kidney and Brain Microvessels In Vivo With Reduced Efficacy in Hypertension J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 May 21; 13(10):e033998. . View in PubMed
• Oral delivery of nanomedicine for genetic kidney disease PNAS Nexus. 2024 May; 3(5):pgae187. . View in PubMed
• Neuronally differentiated macula densa cells regulate tissue remodeling and regeneration in the kidney J Clin Invest. 2024 Apr 10; 134(11). . View in PubMed
• Physiological Mechanisms of Dietary Salt Sensing in the Brain, Kidney, and Gastrointestinal Tract Hypertension. 2024 Mar; 81(3):447-455. . View in PubMed
• Our Editorial Fellowship Program: Building Synergism J Am Soc Nephrol. 2023 12 01; 34(12):1940-1943. . View in PubMed
• Intravital imaging reveals glomerular capillary distension and endothelial and immune cell activation early in Alport syndrome JCI Insight. 2022 01 11; 7(1). . View in PubMed
• The role of TRPC6 calcium channels and P2 purinergic receptors in podocyte mechanical and metabolic sensing Physiol Int. 2021 Dec 16. . View in PubMed
• A new view of macula densa cell protein synthesis Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2021 12 01; 321(6):F689-F704. . View in PubMed
• Serial intravital imaging captures dynamic and functional endothelial remodeling with single-cell resolution JCI Insight. 2021 05 24; 6(10). . View in PubMed
• A new view of macula densa cell microanatomy Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2021 03 01; 320(3):F492-F504. . View in PubMed
• New Endothelial Mechanisms in Glomerular (Patho)biology and Proteinuria Development Captured by Intravital Multiphoton Imaging Front Med (Lausanne). 2021; 8:765356. . View in PubMed
• Essential role and therapeutic targeting of the glomerular endothelial glycocalyx in lupus nephritis JCI Insight. 2020 10 02; 5(19). . View in PubMed
• Renomedullary Interstitial Cell Endothelin A Receptors Regulate BP and Renal Function J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 07; 31(7):1555-1568. . View in PubMed
• Novel fluorescence techniques to quantitate renal cell biology Methods Cell Biol. 2019; 154:85-107. . View in PubMed
• The macula densa prorenin receptor is essential in renin release and blood pressure control Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2018 09 01; 315(3):F521-F534. . View in PubMed
• Advances in Renal Cell Imaging Semin Nephrol. 2018 01; 38(1):52-62. . View in PubMed
• Combined use of electron microscopy and intravital imaging captures morphological and functional features of podocyte detachment Pflugers Arch. 2017 Aug; 469(7-8):965-974. . View in PubMed
• ORAI1 Activates Proliferation of Lymphatic Endothelial Cells in Response to Laminar Flow Through Krüppel-Like Factors 2 and 4 Circ Res. 2017 Apr 28; 120(9):1426-1439. . View in PubMed
• Night shift work and stomach cancer risk in the MCC-Spain study Occup Environ Med. 2016 08; 73(8):520-7. . View in PubMed
• [Utility of B-type natriuretic peptide in children] Orv Hetil. 2007 Feb 11; 148(6):265-70. . View in PubMed
• [Quantification of right and left ventricular function with magnetic resonance imaging after Senning operation for complete transposition of the great arteries] Orv Hetil. 2006 Jan 29; 147(4):171-4. . View in PubMed

• Lemley, Kevin
• Peti Peterdi, Janos
• Lenz, Heinz-Josef
• McMahon, Andrew
• Da Sacco, Stefano
• Kay, Steve
• Sedrakyan, Sargis
• McDonough, Alicia
• Bernstein, Kenneth
• Gurley, Susan