Kathy Griendling, PhD

Dr. Griendling's pioneering research is on the role of NADPH oxidases (Nox) in vascular biology and disease. Her work has elucidated how Nox-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulate the signaling pathways leading to smooth muscle proliferation, migration and differentiation, and their functional relevance in hypertension and diabetes.

Dr. Griendling had visited Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a seminar speaker, when I was a young Assistant Professor back in the 1990s. She was expecting at the time, and that made a big impression on me; it made me think that everything is possible. A year or two later, I was presenting a poster (can't remember whether it was at the Experimental Biology meeting or the Scientific Sessions); all I remember is that she took the time to talk to me about the data on the poster and her words were very encouraging. Both meetings with her early on in my career as a cardiovascular researcher made an impact on me!

Submitted by B. Rita Alevriadou