John W. Osborn, PhD
Professor, Department of Surgery

Contact Info
Professor, Department of Surgery
Marvin Bacaner Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Physiology
Preceptor, Medical Scientist Training Program (Combined MD/PhD Training Program)
Faculty, PhD Program in Integrative Biology and Physiology
Faculty, Graduate Program in Neuroscience
Post Doctoral Fellowship, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Biomedical Engineering), 1988
PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin (Physiology), 1986
BS, Michigan State University (Physiology), 1981
Research
Research Summary/Interests
Research in my laboratory is directed towards gaining an integrative understanding of the role of the central nervous system in the long-term regulation of arterial pressure and the pathogenesis of hypertension. At the present time we are investigating how circulating hormones, such as angiotensin II and aldosterone, are monitored by specialized sites within the brain called circumventricular organs. We are investigating how these regions influence ongoing sympathetic nerve discharge and ultimately the regulation of arterial pressure. Our long-term goal is to understand, in a quantitative way, the role of such hormonal-sympathetic interactions in normal physiology and the pathophysiology of hypertension. Specifically, we are studying how such interactions are influenced by alterations in dietary salt in hopes of understanding the neurogenic basis of salt-dependent hypertension. A variety of experimental approaches are employed to address these issues including state-of-the-art long-term monitoring of cardiovascular hemodynamics and application of cellular/molecular neurobiological techniques. We have also initiated a collaborative project with the Department of Mathematics to begin developing new mathematical models of how the nervous system regulates cardiovascular function over long periods of time.