Education
- Associate Research Scientist, Yale University, Clinical Immunology and Allergy
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute
- Ph.D. '84, Pharmacology, New York Medical College
- B.A. Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Honors and Awards
- Established Investigator Award, American Heart Association, 1998-2001
- Hoechst Marion Roussel Young Scholars Award, American Society of Hypertension, 1999
- Tarnower Scholar, American Heart Association, 1993-1994
- Excellence in Teaching Award (Pharmacology); New York Medical College, 1993
Research
Laboratory research focuses on the role of inflammation in hypertension and kidney disease. Hypertension is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular complications, in part because inflammatory processes promote kidney injury and progressive loss of renal function.
Our work has shown that the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) not only contributes to kidney damage but also plays important physiological roles in maintaining normal kidney function. We are investigating how TNF signaling regulates communication between kidney epithelial cells and immune cells, influences sodium handling, and drives hypertension. By defining these mechanisms, our goal is to identify kidney-specific therapeutic strategies that reduce inflammatory kidney injury while preserving the beneficial functions of the immune system.
Publications
Teaching Responsibilities
- Immunopharmacology (Course Director), Medical Pharmacology, Graduate Pharmacology
