PEOPLE | St. Hilaire Lab

CYNTHIA ST. HILAIRE, PhD, FAHA

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE & BIOENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, DIVISION OF CARDIOLOGY, PITTSBURGH HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD VASCULAR MEDICINE INSTITUTE

Cynthia St. Hilaire, PhD, FAHA is an Associate Professor of Medicine (with Tenure) in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Bioengineering and a Faculty Scholar at the Vascular Medicine Institute. She is a biochemist and vascular biologist whose research program is dedicated to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular and valvular calcification, including medial arterial calcification, peripheral artery disease, and calcific aortic valve disease. Her laboratory investigates how genetic risk factors, inflammatory signals, and mechanical stress drive the osteogenic reprogramming of healthy cardiovascular cells, with active work on CD73/adenosine signaling, DNA damage response, and the non-canonical role of TERT in valve calcification.

Dr. St. Hilaire received her PhD in Biochemistry from Boston University and completed her postdoctoral training at the NHLBI/NIH, where she and colleagues in the nascent Undiagnosed Diseases Program discovered the genetic cause of ACDC (Arterial Calcification due to Deficiency of CD73)—the first disease identified by that program and a finding that received widespread national press coverage. She joined the University of Pittsburgh faculty in 2015. Her research is funded by the NIH and the American Heart Association, including an AHA Strategically Focused Research Network Center on aortic valve disease for which she serves as Center Director. Her work has appeared in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and Circulation Research, and she holds patents leveraging her findings for clinical applications.

Dr. St. Hilaire is an Associate Editor at Circulation Research and host of its monthly podcast, Discover CircRes. She has held multiple leadership roles within the AHA Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, including Chair of the Early Career Committee, and serves as President of the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO, 2026 – 2027).

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ROLANDO CUEVAS, PhD

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Dr. Cuevas obtained his BS/MS in Biochemistry from Catholic University of Chile, where he conducted his research in the laboratory of Dr. Katya Gysling, studying mRNA regulation during drug addiction and stress. After graduating, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he worked as a Scholar Researcher in the laboratories of Dr. Stefan Duensing and Dr. Saumendra Sarkar at the University of Pittsburgh. His research during this time was focused on cancer biology, cell cycle, chromosome segregation and genomic instability, and cancer virology. Dr. Cuevas obtained his PhD in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University under the mentorship of Dr. N. Luisa Hiller, studying the molecular signaling leading to virulence in pneumococcal-associated diseases.

PARYA BEHZADI, PhD

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Dr. Behzadi pursued a PhD in clinical research under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Gagnon at the Montreal Heart Institute. Her research focused on the therapeutic potential of heat exposure for cardiometabolic markers in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. During her PhD at Université de Montréal, she developed a particular interest in understanding the molecular mechanism that induce cardiovascular diseases.

NINA GAKII, BS

LABORATORY MANAGER

Nina was born in Kenya and moved to the United States during high school, growing up primarily in Lexington, Kentucky. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kentucky. During her time there, she worked on research projects investigating the development of pain hypersensitivity in Lepr/db mutant diabetic mice, with a focus on genotype and sex differences. She also explored whether primary afferent activity drives latent sensitization. Outside of the lab, Nina enjoys watching movies, climbing, hiking, reading, and trying new restaurants with friends.

KENNY MACKENZIE, BS

RESEARCH TECHNICIAN

Kenny grew up in Massachusetts and spent his summers traveling around New England. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 2023 with a BS in Biochemistry. At UVM, he conducted his Honors College senior thesis in the Dublié Lab which focused on determining the function and structure of the human DNA polymerase theta helicase-like domain. Now Kenny works as a lab technician for the St. Hilaire Lab working to help discover the mechanisms responsible for vascular calcification. In his free time, Kenny enjoys reading, biking, and working on his creative writing.

BEIBEI ZHOU

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, MICROBIOLOGY, CLASS OF 2027

Beibei Zhou is an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. Originally from Guangzhou, China, she developed an early interest in biomedical research through projects focused on infectious diseases and public health. She joined the St. Hilaire Laboratory to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular calcification and vascular disease.

Prior to joining the St. Hilaire Lab, Beibei conducted cardiovascular and platelet biology research in Dr. Craig Morrell’s laboratory at the University of Rochester through the American Heart Association Summer Scholars Program. Her work focused on how environmental microbial exposure influences platelet activation and immune function. After graduation, Beibei plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician-scientist. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, drawing, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

LAUREN SNYDER

PROJECT MANAGER

Lauren is a recent transplant to Pittsburgh from Costa Rica. She has transferred her 20 years in teaching and program evaluation to project management while she pursues a master’s degree in counseling psychology. When not working or studying, Lauren likes to read, dance, and cross stitch.

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