Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences

Sean Thatcher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences

Roon 559, Charles T. Wethington Building
900 South Limestone                                                                Publication Listings on PubMed
Lexington, KY 40506-0054
Telephone: (859) 323-4933 ext 81405
Fax: (859) 257-3565
e-Mail: seanthatcher@uky.edu

Academic Appointments:

• Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences

Education:

• B.S., Morehead State University, Morehead, KY
• M.S. Morehead State University, Morehead, KY
• Ph.D., Marshall University, Huntington, WV

Awards:

• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, NHLBI
• Outstanding Young Investigator Award, Gordon Research Conference, Angiotensin II
• First Prize for oral presentation at annual research conference, Marshall University
• First Prize for poster presentation, Saha Cardiovascular Research Day, University of Kentucky

Specific Interest in Nutrition:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) regulation by high-fat and high-cholesterol diets

Research:

My research interests include the study of ACE2/Ang-(1-7)MasR axis in vascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). It has been shown that ACE2 can catabolize angiotensin II, producing the vasodilatory peptide, Ang-(1-7). Ang-(1-7) can oppose the functions of AngII; therefore increasing its production could be beneficial in the treatment of AngII-induced atherosclerosis and AAAs.  Current work is to understand the regulation of ACE2 and how drug therapies might be employed to increase ACE2 expression and/or activity.