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Lisa A. Cassis, Ph.D.
Professor
Chair, Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences

Room 521b, Wethington Building
Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
900 S. Limestone
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40536-0200
Tel: (859)-323-4933 ext 81400
Fax: (859)-257-3646
e-mail: lcassis@uky.edu

Academic Appointments:

• Professor of the Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
• Graduate Center for Toxicology, College of Medicine
• Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy

Education:

• B.S., Pharmacy, West Virginia University
• Ph.D., Pharmacology, West Virginia University
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Alexander von Humboldt Program, University of Wurzburg,    West Germany
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology

Awards:

• NIH Predoctoral Fellow
• NIH Postdoctoral Fellow
• NIH Career Development Award
• IBM Supercomputer
• Outstanding Professor

Specific Interest in Nutrition:

Renin-angiotensin system as a link between obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Research:

Obesity is at epidemic proportions in the US, and cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in patients with obesity. Research in Dr. Cassis’ laboratory aims to identify mechanisms linking obesity to cardiovascular disease. Dr. Cassis’ laboratory made the pivotal finding in 1988 that angiotensin II, the primary peptide of the renin-angiotensin system, is produced by adipocytes. Current studies examine adipose derived angiotensin peptides as a mediator of the cardiovascular complications of obesity (i.e., hypertension, atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysms). High fat feeding is used to produce diet-induced obesity in rodents, and adipose-derived angiotensins are studied in conjunction with cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms for regulation of adipose angiotensin production by high cholesterol and/or high fat feeding are under study, including differences in the regional production of angiotensin by visceral versus subcutaneous adipose tissue. In addition, Dr. Cassis’ laboratory is studying how environmental toxins, such as the highly lipophilic PCBs accumulate in adipose tissue and influence adipocyte biology. Results from these studies will identify novel medical approaches to treat obesity-related disorders.