Overview | History | Current Students | Student Awards | Curriculum | Admission Requirements
WonMo Ahn
Mentor: Gabor Csanyi, PhD
Research Project: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein stimulates macropinocytosis in murine and human macrophages
Suhib Alhusban
Mentor: Brian Annex, MD
Research Project: Hexosamine Biosynthesis Pathway Activation by Glucosamine is Sufficient for Therapeutic Angiogenesis in PAD
Candee Barris
Mentor: Eric Belin de Chantemele, PhD
Research Project: Origin of Sex Differences in Mechanism of Obesity-associated Hypertension
Zsuzsanna Bordan
Mentor: David Fulton, PhD
Research Project: PDZ-Binding Kinase, a Novel Regulator of Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Zach Brown
Mentor: David Fulton, PhD
Research Project: A viral approach to modeling pulmonary hypertension
Jaser Doja
Mentor: Joe Miano, PhD
Research Project: The Transcriptional Regulation and Activity of Myocardin
Steve Haigh
Mentor: David Fulton, PhD
Research Project: Pulmonary Arterial hypertension, Cell Death, & Galectin 3
David Kim
Mentor: Neal Weintraub, MD
Research Project: Identification of human-specific novel long non-coding RNA in neointima formation
Taylor Kress
Mentor: Eric Belin de Chantemele, PhD
Research focus: The Role of Tcell Derived HIV Proteins in the Development of Endothelial Dysfunction and Hypertension
Cody Rosewater
Mentor: David Stepp, PhD
Research Project: Deletion of myostatin alters estrogen metabolism in the skeletal muscle and visceral white adipose in obese mice
Hunter Sellers
Mentor: David Fulton, PhD
Research Project: A Model of Sustained Hyperphagia and Obesity in Mice using a Brain Targeting Adeno Associated Virus
Mitchell Shivers
Mentor: David Fulton, PhD
Research Project: A Model of Sustained Hypertension Using Adeno Associated Viruses
Andrew Speese
Mentor: David Stepp, PhD
Research Project: A Model of Sustained Hyperphagia and Obesity in Mice using a Brain Targeting Adeno Associated Virus
Josue Zambrano-Carrasco
Mentor: Huabo Su, PhD
Research Project: An indispensable role of RBX1 in cardiac development
2022
Brandee Goo
Degree: PhD 2023, MD current
Advisor: Neal Weintraub, MD
Dissertation: The Role of Histone Deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) in Adipose Tissue Dysfunction in Obesity and Aging
Rebekah Tritz
Degree: PhD 2022
Advisor: Brian Stansfield, MD
Dissertation: Leveraging the Bioenergetic Profile in Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Kareem Abdelsaid
Mentor: Masuko Ushio-Fukai/Tohru Fukai, MD
Research Project: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein stimulates macropinocytosis in murine and human macrophages
Caleb Padgett
Degree: PhD 2022/ MD Current
Advisor: David Stepp, PhD
Dissertation: The Roles of Circadian Disruption and Reactive Oxygen Species Overproduction in the Development of Obesity-Associated Cardiovascular Disease
2021
Tyler Benson
Degree: PhD 2021
Advisor: Dr. Neal Weintraub
Dissertation:
Alec Davila
Degree: MD/PhD 2021
Advisor: Dr. Zsolt Bagi
Dissertation: Microvascular dysfunction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
2020
Hyiping Lin
Degree: PhD 2020
Advisor: Dr. Gabor Csanyi
Dissertation: Cell drinking: a closer look at how macropinocytosis drives cholesterol uptake in atherosclerotic vessels
2019
Xueyi (Shirley) Li
Degree: PhD 2019
Advisor: Dr. David Fulton
Dissertation: Dissecting the Roles of Galectin-3 in pulmonary hypertension
Aluya Oseghale
Degree: PhD 2019
Advisor: Drs. Julia Brittain & Betty Pace
Dissertation: Therapeutic reactivation of fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell disease: development of a novel prodrug AN-233
2017
Huijuan (Emily) Dou
Degree: PhD 2017
Advisor: Dr. Zsolt Bagi
Dissertation: ADAM17 and age-related vascular dysfunction
Esraa Shosha
Degree: PhD 2017
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwel
Dissertation: Neurovascular degeneration following retinal ischemia reperfusion injury: Role of Arginase 2
Jian Peng Teoh
Degree: PhD 2017
Advisor: Dr. Il-man Kim
Dissertation: Beta-adrenergic receptor/Beta-arrestin-mediated microRNA maturation regulatory network: A new player in cardioprotective signaling
2015
Yusi Wang
Degree: PhD 2015
Advisor: Dr. David Fulton
Dissertation: Dissecting the Roles of Reactive Oxygen Species in Cardiovascular Disease
2014
Christine Gross
Degree: PhD 2014
Advisor: Dr. Steve Black
Dissertation: The role of the transcription factor, Sox18, in pulmonary endothelial barrier function
Shuiqing Qiu
Degree: PhD 2014
Advisor: Dr. David Stepp
Dissertation: Increasing muscle mass by deletion of myostatin improves metabolic and vascular function in obese (db/db) mice
Jutamas Suwanpradid
Degree: PhD 2014
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwell
Dissertation: Roles of arginase in oxygen-induced retinopathy
Chintan Patel
Degree: PhD 2014
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwell
Dissertation: Activation of arginase and the endothelin system in models of ischemic retinopathy
Ashlee Tipton
Degree: PhD 2014
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Sullivan
Dissertation: Blood pressure impacts the renal T cell profile of male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats
2013
Krystal Brinson
Degree: PhD 2013
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Sullivan
Dissertation: Sex differences in renal inner medullary nitric oxide synthase regulation and nitric oxide synthase contribution to blood pressure control in hypertension
Shawn Elms
Degree: PhD 2013
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwell
Dissertation: Insights Into the Arginine Paradox and the Role of Arginase in Diabetic Retinopathy
2012
Wararat Kittikulsuth
Degree: PhD 2012
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Pollock
Dissertation: Regulation of renal medullary endothelin B receptor function by angiotensin II: evidence of sex differences
Jin Qian
Degree: PhD 2012
Advisor: Dr. David Fulton
Dissertation: Physiological consequences of ENOS subcellular targeting
Frank Spradley
Degree: PhD 2012
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Pollock
Dissertation: Mechanisms of Diet-Induced Hypertension and Vascular Disease Risk in Dahl Rats
2011
Saurabh Aggarwal
Degree: PhD 2011
Advisor: Dr. Steve Black
Dissertation: Vascular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension: Role of protein kinase G-1α nitration
Deepesh Pandey
Degree: PhD 2011
Advisor: Dr. David Fulton
Dissertation: Post-translational regulation of NADPH oxidase 5 (Nox5) mediated via phosphorylation and SUMOylation
Jinling Yang
Degree: PhD 2011
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwell
Dissertation: Signaling Mechanism of Blood-Retinal Barrier Regulation: Role of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
2010
Mohammed (Irfan) Ali
Degree: PhD 2010
Advisor: Dr. David Stepp
Dissertation: Peripheral insulin resistance mediates microvascular dysfunction in obese mice via increased NAD(P)H oxidase isoform one mediated superoxide production
Alexis Simpkins
Degree: MD/PhD 2010
Advisor: Dr. Edward Inscho
Dissertation: Soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibition attenuates vascular remodeling and is protective against cerebral ischemia
2009
Jan Foster
Degree: PhD 2009
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Pollock
Dissertation: Regulation and actions of nitric oxide in the renal medullary thick ascending limb during type 1 diabetes mellitus
2008
Matthew Socha
Degree: PhD 2008
Advisor: Dr. Edward Inscho
Dissertation: SPARC mediates renal injury in angiotensin II-induced hypertensive mouse models
Rodney Littlejohn
Degree: PhD 2008/ MD 2022
Advisor: Dr. Huabo Su
Dissertation: The Role of Neddylation in Early Cardiac Development
Joseph Poole
Degree: MD/PhD 2008
Advisor: Dr. Frank Treiber
Dissertation: Impact of genetic predisposition and environmental stress on measures of preclinical essential hypertension
Maninder (Marlina) Manhiani
Degree: PhD 2008
Advisor: Dr. Edward Inscho
Dissertation: The role of cytochrome P450 epoxygenase enzymes in renal injury and inflammation with salt sensitive hypertension
Pimonrat Ketsawatsomkron
Degree: PhD 2008
Advisor: Dr. Mario Marrero
Dissertation: The role of PTP-1B in vascular insulin resistance
2007
Vanessa Bundy
Degree: PhD 2007 (MD 2011)
Advisor: Dr. Paule Barbeau
Dissertation: From adipokines to atherosclerosis: The role of adipose tissue in inflammation and etiology of vascular disease
Kyu Tae Kang
Degree: PhD 2007
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Pollock
Dissertation: Novel nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanism of vasorelaxation in small arteries from hypertensive rats
Annura Chatterjee
Degree: PhD 2007
Advisor: Dr. John Catravas
Dissertation: Hsp-90 inhibitors in sepsis and sepsis-induced acute lung injury
2006
Chunying Li
Degree: PhD 2006
Advisor: Dr. Richard Venema
Dissertation: Enos regulation by physophorylation and protein-protein interactions
2004
Elizabeth (Dabbs) Loomis
Degree: PhD 2004
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Pollock
Dissertation: Mechanisms of ET-1-mediated oxygen radical production in the rat aorta
Daniel Platt
Degree: PhD 2004
Advisor: Dr. Ruth Caldwell
Dissertation: Molecular mechanisms of high glucose -induced vascular endothelial growth factor expression in retinal endothelial cells