MD - 1986
Universidad Francisco Marroquin

PhD - 1990
Louisiana State University Medical Center

Dr. Molina completed her MD training at the Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala, Central America. Thereafter, she pursued a PhD in Physiology at LSUHSC under the mentorship of Dr. John J. Spitzer, presenting her dissertation on “Ethanol-endotoxin interaction with carbohydrate metabolism”. Her postdoctoral experience at Vanderbilt University was supported by a NIGMS Minority Supplement Grant under the mentorship of Dr. Naji N. Abumrad. She progressed through the academic ranks initially as an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Physiology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook and subsequently as Director of Surgical Research at North Shore University Hospital. During that period, she held a Guest Scientist appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory prior to joining the Department of Physiology at LSUHSC as an Associate Professor. Since becoming a faculty member at LSUHSC, Dr. Molina has obtained tenure and promotion to the rank of Professor and more recently to the Richard Ashman, PhD Professor in Physiology. Dr. Molina’s research has been funded continuously since completing her PhD degree. She has mentored several undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral trainees. Dr. Molina is a member of the faculty of the School of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Education Committee in Physiology, The Graduate Advisory Council, and is a mentor for the LSUHSC Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Dr. Molina is an active member of several committees within the LSUHSC and is also actively involved in the Scientific Community outside the institution. Currently, she is the Vice-Chair for the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, and Chair of the American Physiological Society Porter Development Committee. In addition, she serves a Councilor at Large for the Hispanic American Medical Association of Louisiana.
Research Interests
Research in her laboratory focuses on the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on the cardiovascular, metabolic and immune consequences of acute traumatic injury and hemorrhagic shock. In addition, work in her laboratory also investigates the interaction of alcohol and drug abuse on the behavioral, metabolic, and immune consequences of HIV/AIDS. Currently, work in her laboratory is funded by NIAAA, NIDA, DOD, and the Board of Regents of Louisiana.
Teaching Activities
Dr. Molina teaches the Endocrine Block in Medical Physiology (Spring semester)
and in the Biological Systems Graduate Course (Spring semester).
She is course director for Medical Spanish Elective (Spring semester),
Perspectives in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research (Spring and Fall semesters),
and Graduate Endocrine Physiology (alternating Fall semesters)

Impact of chronic alcohol consumption on the progression of AIDS-associated muscle wasting
Impact of alcohol abuse on the metabolic and pro-inflammatory counteregulatory responses to shock and trauma
Understanding the neuro-endocrine mechanisms that regulate peripheral metabolic and inflammatory responses to hemorrhagic shock and trauma

Greiffenstein P, Molina PE, Alcohol-Induced Alterations of Host Defense Following Traumatic Injury, J. Trauma 64(1):230-40, 2008.

Molina PE, Lang CH, McNurlan M, Bagby GJ, Nelson S., Chronic alcohol accentuates simian acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated wasting., Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 32; 138-147, 2008.

Greiffenstein P, Mathis KW, Vande Stouwe C, Molina PE., Alcohol binge prior to trauma/hemorrhage impairs integrity of host defense mechanisms during recovery., Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 31(4):704-15, 2007.

Molina PE., Opioids and opiates: analgesia with cardiovascular, haemodynamic and immune implications in critical illness., J Intern Med 259(2):138-43, 2006.

Mathis KW, Zambell K., Olubadewo JO, Molina, PE., Altered hemodynamic counter-regulation to hemorrhage by acute moderate alcohol intoxication., Shock 26(1):55-61, 2006.