Kimara Targoff, M.D.

Principal Investigator

Current Members

Dr. Paola Pastena is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Targoff Lab at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from the International MD Program at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy. With a passion for medical research, Dr. Pastena moved to the United States to undertake a research scholarship at Stony Brook University Hospital's Division of Cardiology, where she focused on clinical studies in heart failure. Motivated to explore the mechanisms of disease and bridge the gap between research and patient care, Dr. Pastena transitioned to basic and translational science. At the Targoff Lab, her work focuses on pioneering projects investigating cardiac regeneration and repair following myocardial infarction. By advancing cardiovascular research, she aims to translate her findings from bench to bedside, ultimately contributing to innovative therapies that improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Jana Moubarak is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Targoff Lab at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).  She earned her medical degree from the Lebanese American University (LAU) in 2024, where she cultivated a deep passion for research and innovation in pediatric medicine. Her journey has been driven by a fascination with the heart’s remarkable capacity for regeneration, which now fuels her work on myocardial repair mechanisms. At Columbia, she is leveraging advanced genetic and molecular tools to unravel the complexities of heart regeneration. With a steadfast commitment to improving children’s health, she aims to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and transformative clinical outcomes.

Rigolin Nayak joined the Targoff lab in November 2024. Rigolin obtained her PhD from the University of South Bohemia under the supervision of Dr. Martin Psenicka, a pioneer in reproductive biotechnology. During her PhD, she worked with various germ cell-based techniques to establish germline chimeras across different genera and species with gonial cell transplantation. During this time, she developed a keen interest in cardiac development and regeneration, which ultimately led her to pursue postdoctoral research in cardiovascular development. Her current works focus on understanding the genetic mechanism involved in embryonic heart development using state-of-the-art technologies with the goal of contributing to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

Rigolin Nayak, PhD.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Jana Moubarak, M.D.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Meet the Team

Dr. Kimara Targoff, M.D. is Pediatric Cardiologist and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) in New York City.  She also directs the Cardiac Development and Regenerative Biology Laboratory at Columbia University.  Dr. Targoff received her M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine and completed her clinical residency and fellowship training at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York at CUMC.  She pursued her post-doctoral research with Dr. Deborah Yelon at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at NYU Medical Center in the Developmental Genetics Program.  Dr. Targoff established her independent laboratory at Columbia in 2012 as the first zebrafish investigator.  Her laboratory’s research seeks novel strategies optimized in the zebrafish model to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for embryonic cardiomyocyte differentiation with the goal of applying these insights to design new approaches to regenerate functional myocardium.

Past Members

Paola Pastena, M.D.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Tint Tha Ra Wun
Research Technician

Tint joined the Targoff Lab in January 2024 after completing her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and Statistical/Data Sciences at Smith College. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in a diverse range of research projects spanning basic science, bioinformatics, and clinical research, with a focus on cardiovascular and metabolic medicine. At the Targoff Lab, Tint's primary research investigates the roles and mechanisms of Fibulin extracellular matrix proteins in cardiac regeneration following myocardial infarction. Her work integrates advanced molecular biology techniques, imaging tools, and bioinformatics approaches. Tint is passionate about bridging scientific discovery with clinical applications and aspires to become a physician-scientist and she plans to apply to MD-PhD programs to further her career at the intersection of medicine and research.

  1. Isabel Nunez (Research Technician, Current MD student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons)

  2. Caitlin Ford, PhD. (PhD Student, Communications Associate at The Helmsley Charitable Trust)

  3. Angelika G. Aleman, PhD. (PhD Student, Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

  4. Carmen de Sena-Tomás, PhD. (Postdoctoral Research Scientist)

  5. Di Yao, PhD. (Postdoctoral Research Scientist)

  6. Sophie Colombo (Postdoctoral Research Scientist)

  7. Vanessa George (Research Technician)