Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a lung disease characterized by high pressure in the lungs, thickening of the blood vessel walls, blood vessel lesions and lung fibrosis (which obstruct blood flow), and an enlargement of the right side of the heart. Ultimately, PH results in heart failure and has a high mortality rate. Few options exist to treat this condition, but the treatments that do exist primarily target the inner layer of the blood vessels called the endothelium. Losartan is a drug that is often used to treat other types of hypertension. Our lab has observed that when losartan or its chemical byproduct are administered, this greatly enhances the endothelium's protective effects. The purpose of my project is to examine losartan and its chemical byproduct using an animal model of PH to determine its applicability to the treatment of this condition. This research is important because it will help us gain a better understanding of how losartan and its byproduct influences the endothelium in PH and in turn how we can apply this to treatment.