Laxman Poudel, Ph.D., a postdoctoral trainee in the laboratory of Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., Victor Darley-Usmar, Ph.D., Endowed Professor, Division Director, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, is a recipient of the 2026 American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship.
The American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship is a highly competitive award that supports early career researchers in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health. The award provides up to two years of funding, with the purpose of enhancing the training of postdoctoral researchers who are not yet independent investigators.
Poudel’s project focuses on the role of red blood cell surface glycans in mediating red blood cell-endothelial adhesion. He studies red blood cell turnover in conditions associated with oxidative stress, such as sickle cell disease, atherosclerosis and sepsis. His project employs hydrogen peroxide as a signal to measure high‑mannose levels on the surfaces of red blood cells. The study suggests that administering additional mannose, a simple sugar that the body does not metabolize well, could block high‑mannose sites. By blocking them, red blood cells may stick less to blood vessel walls, which could ease vascular problems seen in these conditions.
Prior to joining UAB, Poudel completed his Master of Science in Physics from Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, Nepal. He earned his Ph.D. in Nitric Oxide Biochemistry from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.