An NIH program project grant, “Genetic and Signaling Mechanisms in the Central Regulation of Blood Pressure,” administrated by Principal Investigator Dr. Curt Sigmund of Pharmacology was successfully renewed for the second time in 2018. The continuation will fund three projects and three scientific cores for years 11-15.

The incidence of obesity and hypertension has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, which will have serious consequences for the well-being of all Americans from both health and economic perspectives. The central nervous system plays a major role in obesity and hypertension but the knowledge of the neural circuits controlling physiological pathways regulating blood pressure, feeding, and energy expenditure remain limited. The long term goal and central theme of the program is to identify mechanisms and neural circuitry regulating blood pressure and energy homeostasis in hypertension and common obesity.   The projects are synergistic both conceptually and technically and will collectively advance our understanding of the basic molecular and cellular that underlie neural control of cardiovascular and metabolic functions in health and disease.

In addition to Sigmund, project and core leaders include Drs. Kamal Rahmouni, Justin Grobe, Huxing Cui and Anne Kwitek, all faculty in Pharmacology.  Project collaborators include Drs. Val Sheffield (Pediatrics) and Julien Sebag (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics).