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Mohan K. Raizada, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor

(352) 392-9299
Office: MBI L4-181
mraizada@ufl.edu
PubMed Listing
Biosketch

Member of the McKnight Brain Institute

Member of The Neurogenic Cardiovascular Diseases Consortium

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Our Research Team

Research Interests

Elucidation of the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Brain Angiotensin Control of Cardiovascular Functions:

Our studies have established that the brain Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is key in the control of blood pressure and other cardiovascular functions. This view is further supported by the fact that the expression and activity of this system is enhanced in hypertension. Our laboratory has been involved in elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the brain Ang-II action in the brain in order to develop a better therapeutic strategy for its hyperactivity and thus devise novel ways to control hypertension.

The following lines of investigations are underway in this study:

1. Studying the signal transduction mechanism of Ang II-induced Norepinephrine (NE) neuromodulation. The role of various kinases such as MAPK, PI-3K, PKC, and CAMK on Ang-II induced vesicular trafficking, NE release, and synthesis are being investigated.
2. Mechanisms of Ang II-regulated NE neuromodulation in the neurons of the SHR is being investigated. The hypothesis that the AT₁ receptor is coupled to two distinct signaling pathways in the SHR neurons is being investigated.
3. Gene profiling techniques are being used to identify known and unknown genes that are regulated by Ang-II in the brain. In addition, efforts are underway to identify hypertension related genes. A number of such genes have been identified from the hypothalamus and studies are underway to identify and determine their functions.

Genetic Targeting of the RAS for the Control of Hypertension:

Our previous studies have established that a single intracardiac injection of a retroviral vector containing either AT₁ receptor antisense cDNA or ACE-antisense cDNA prevents animals from developing hypertension for life. This is an exciting observation and provides conceptual support that antisense targeting of the RAS could be an important strategy for the long-term control of hypertension.

The following lines of investigation are underway in this area:

1. Provide further conceptual support for antisense gene therapy by using many different models of hypertension.
2. Use lentiviral-based vectors to determine a long-term reversal of hypertension.
3. Explore the possibility of using tissue/cell specific promoters to drive the expression of antisense and determining the role of tissue RAS in hypertension.
4. Develop a tet-regulated AT₁R-AS expression system for in vivo use. Our objective is to “turn-on” and “turn-off” the expression of AT₁R-AS in-vivo on demand and study its effects on hypertension.
5. The cardiovascular-protective role of the AT₂ receptor is being investigated. We are testing the hypothesis that overexpression of this receptor may protect animals from hypertension.

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Postdoctoral Positions Available

Postdoctoral Position in Neurophysiology

A postdoctoral position is immediately available in our research group to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the neural control of blood pressure. The individual will interact with our gene therapy and neurobiology teams to investigate the electrophysiological pathways involved in angiotensin II regulation of neurotransmission and neuromodulation.

Expertise in patch clamp electrophysiological recordings from neuronal cells in culture and/or brain slices is required, along with experience in basic molecular biological techniques.

Send CV and names of three references by email to Dr. Mohan K. Raizada at mraizada@ufl.edu

Postdoctoral Position in Physiological Genomics

A postdoctoral position is immediately available in our research group to investigate the therapeutic potential of systemic and tissue specific gene delivery of ACE2 and other genes of the Renin-Angiotensin System on the prevention and reversal of hypertension. The overall responsibilities include construction and production of lentiviral and adenoviral vectors containing ACE2, AT1 receptor and AT1 receptor-antisense, in vivo delivery of these vectors in rat/mice models of hypertension and studying the physiological outcomes in the cardiovascular system. Experience in molecular biology, cloning, viral vector-mediated in vivo gene transfer is important. Background understanding of the physiology of the cardiovascular system is desirable.

Send CV and names of three references by email to Dr. Mohan K. Raizada at mraizada@ufl.edu