Diet and blood pressure: seeking answers

Our lab is dedicated to seeking answers to ongoing questions about human hypertension and kidney disease. 

We are also committed to sharing our techniques openly with fellow researchers and cultivating a larger community of transparency and research integrity.

Our current projects determine:

This graph shows the effects of potassium on NaCl transporter abundance (Terker et al.)
Effects of Potassium (x axis) on active NaCl Transporter Abundance (y axis)
  • How potassium prevents hypertension
  • How the kidney senses potassium
  • How gene mutations cause hypertension
  • How aldosterone damages the heart and kidney

Pictured left: our findings on the effect of potassium on NaCl transporter abundance. Read more about them in Potassium Modulates Electrolyte Balance and Blood Pressure through Effects on Distal Cell Voltage and Chloride by Terker et al. 

Recent Achievements

Ryan Cornelius stands on stage at the Experimental Biology Conference. 2019
Ryan Cornelius, Ph.D. on stage at the Renal Dinner (April 6-9, 2019)

Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland Student Award

Recent alumni of the lab and current medical student, Elizabeth Swanson, has been honored by the annual student award from the Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland. Read more about the honor in The Scribe, a publication of the Medical Society of Metropolitan Portland.

Experimental Biology Posters and Professors Finalist (pictured left)

Ryan Cornelius, Ph.D. was a finalist for the Posters and Professors awards session and represented our lab at the Experimental Biology conference. 

Medical Research Foundation Discovery Award recipient

David H. Ellison, M.D. received the Discovery Award for his innovative contributions to nephrology and hypertension research in Oregon. Read more about this prestigious award in the OHSU blog article, Medical Research Foundation honors top Oregon scientists, mentors 

Getting a closer look at the kidney

New technique of kidney clearing, showing aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in green and BrdU in purple.
New technique of kidney clearing, showing aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in green and BrdU in purple.

By investing time in thinking creatively about developing new techniques, we can extend the depth of our findings

Pictured right: preliminary 3D rendering from immunofluorescence and clearing studies, showing mouse renal medulla tubules in striking clarity by tracking the protein aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in green.