Dr. Rhian M Touyz

Describe why you chose this career

I became aware of the devastating consequences of hypertension early in my medical training, when I encountered too many hospitalized patients who had suffered (preventable) stroke, cardiac failure or kidney disease from hypertension. It was intriguing to me that in so many of these patients there was no identifiable etiology. Since then I have been driven to explore mechanisms to better understand the cause(s) of hypertension with the hope of identifying new therapeutic targets for the prevention and improved management of hypertension and associated cardiovascular disease.

My area of interest

The molecular and cellular mechanisms of experimental and clinical hypertension

Education

Having completed my high school education in the arts at a specialized Art, Ballet and Music School, I went on to obtain my science and medical degrees (BSc(Hons), MSc(Med), MBBCh, PhD) from the Univ. of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Training

My clinical training was at the academic hospital of the Univ. of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and post-doctoral training was under the supervision of Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal.

Awards

Young Investigator Award; Quebec Society of Hypertension; Young Investigator Award, Canadian Society of Hypertension; Young Scholar Award, American Society of Hypertension; Dahl Lecture Award, CHBPR, American Heart Association; Grace A Goldsmith Award, American Society of Nutrition; Vincenzo Panagia Award, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Award; Distinguished Scientist Award, Hypertension Canada.

Recent Publications

1. Sedeek M et al. Critical role of Nox4-based NADPH oxidase in glucose-induced oxidative stress in the kidney – implications in diabetic nephropathy. Am J Physiol 2010;299(6):F1348-58
2. Montezano AC et al. Nox5 Regulation by Ang II and ET-1 is Mediated via Ca/Calmodulin-dependent Pathways in Human Endothelial Cells. Circ Res. 2010;106:1363-73.
3. Montezano AC et al. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation to an Osteogenic Phenotype Involves TRPM7 - Modulation by Magnesium. Hypertension 2010;56(3):453-62
4. Yogi A et al. Sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced inflammation involves receptor tyrosine kinase transactivation in vascular cells: upregulation in hypertension. Hypertension;2011;57(4):809-18
5. Yogi A. et al. Dysregulation of renal TRPM6/7 but not paracellin-1 in aldosterone-induced hypertension and kidney damage in a model of hereditary hypomagnesemia. J Hypertens. 2011;29(7):1400-10
6. Burger D. et al. Endothelial Microparticle Formation by Ang II Is Mediated via AT1R/NADPH Oxidase/Rho Kinase Pathways Targeted to Lipid Rafts. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 May 19
7. Callera GE. et al. Vascular proinflammatory responses by aldosterone are mediated via c-Src trafficking to cholesterol-rich microdomains: role of PDGFR. Cardiovasc Res. 2011 Jun 7.