My research interests are in the areas of diabetic nephropathy and cardiac hypertrophy.
Diabetes can cause significant microvascular and macrovascular disease.
Once this develops the disease inevitably progresses to renal failure making diabetes the most common cause of end stage renal disease in the United States. While it is still possible to delay this progression with tight glucose and blood pressure management, there is still no cure. Therefore, the goal of my research is to uncover potential mechanisms involved in this progression that can serve as therapeutic targets. The forms the pathologic lesion known as diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is an important enzyme inhibitor that is significantly upregulated in the diabetic milieu.