General Research Interests: Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology of Hypertension and Vascular Dysfunction
My laboratory is primarily interested in investigating the regulation of genes involved in cardiovascular homeostasis and in creating new transgenic and knockout models of cardiovascular disease that will allow us to explore how these genes regulate blood pressure. We use state-of-the-art molecular and physiological approaches to these problems including the extensive use of genetic manipulation including transgenesis, gene targeting and viral gene delivery. For the past 12 years, we have been investigating the mechanisms by the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) regulates blood pressure in normal and pathological states. We have developed novel models with which to explore the importance of RAS gene expression in the kidney and brain. We also make extensive use of both BAC-mediated transgenesis and the cre-loxP recombinase system. More recently, we have been exploring the mechanism by which the PPARg transcription factor regulates blood pressure and vascular tone. This new project is making extensive use of viral gene delivery, transgenesis, dominant negative mutants, microarrays and computational biology. Additional details on projects in the Sigmund lab is available through individual links.