PVM Directory / Marxa L. Figueiredo
Marxa L. Figueiredo, PhD
Contact Info
Dean’s Fellow for Graduate Programs
Associate Professor, Basic Medical Sciences
Veterinary Administration | Department of Basic Medical Sciences
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
625 Harrison Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-5790
mlfiguei@purdue.edu
About
Dr. Marxa L. Figueiredo is an associate professor of basic medical sciences at Purdue University, where she leads a research program focused on the interplay between the skeletal and immune systems. Her lab develops innovative therapies for bone metastatic cancers and inflammatory conditions including arthritis, leveraging multifunctional cytokines, minibinders, and small molecules that target bone and inflammatory cells to promote regeneration and immune modulation.
Her team is advancing gene and stem cell delivery platforms, including sonoporation-based gene therapy and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells as therapeutic vehicles. These approaches are designed to enhance tissue repair and immune balance in both preclinical cancer and arthritis models.
Dr. Figueiredo has a strong commitment to education and mentorship. She has directed Veterinary Histology courses and mentored MS, PhD, and DVM students through multiple research programs. Her work has been supported by internal and external funding sources, including the FDA, NIFA, CTSI, and NIH, and holds promise for improving health outcomes in both companion animals and humans.
Education
2002 - PhD | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Experience
8/2017–currrent | Associate Professor (with tenure), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
8/2015–2017 | Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
2/2016–current | Member, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
11/2003–08/2006 | Postdoctoral researcher, Division of Oral Biology and Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
11/2002–11/2003 | Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Human Oncology, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
08/2006–04/2008 | Assistant Researcher III, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
05/2008–12/2010 | Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
03/2016–current | Member, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Medicinal Chemistry (MC) program, West Lafayette, IN.
01/2011–07/2015 | Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
