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Ann Schreihofer, PhD

Professor

Department of Physiology and Anatomy
College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
ann-schreihofer@unthealth.edu

Education
  • PhD, Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh (1994)
  • BS, Psychology, Emory University (1989)
Personal Bio

I am a member of the faculty in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy in the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences at UNT Health Fort Worth My primary effort is in research and scholarly activities, and I am currently NIH-funded to investigate how the brain regulates cardiovascular function in the setting of obesity and metabolic syndrome, focusing on time courses of pathophysiologies, their interactions and sex specific phenomena. In addition, I am funded to investigate how attributes of metabolic syndrome promote the development of histological markers and behavioral deificts associated with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. 


Research
The goal of my research is to better understand how the brain controls blood pressure, both under normal conditions and in the presence of disorders that raise blood pressure. Currently, my laboratory focuses on two conditions that lead to high blood pressure: obesity and sleep apnea. Both of these conditions change how the brain controls blood pressure, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Although, ideally, obesity and sleep apnea can be managed, many find it difficult to control body weight in the long term and not may tolerate current treatments for sleep apnea. As these conditions continue to become more prevalent, the cardiovascular disease that accompanies them also becomes a major health issue nationwide. The current treatments for high blood pressure are numerous, and many medications act within the brain to control blood pressure. Our work examines which treatments are ideal for management of cardiovascular disease with these conditions by determining how the brain changes with obesity and sleep apnea and whether current medications can reverse these changes. Because high blood pressure has many causes, treatments should be individually optimized to best manage control of blood pressure in the context of the conditions that accompany it.

 

Teaching

I specialize in teaching neurophysiology to our graduate students in several programs including Integrative Physiology, Medical Science Masters Program and Physician Assistant Program. I am currently developing an online version of my teaching block for the Medical Sciences Program and both versions will be given starting in January. I have trained masters and doctoral students in my laboratory. 


Service

In support of my institution, I serve in leadership roles for our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Vice-Chair), and Promotion and Tenure Committees for my department and the GSBS. I have been consistently active in my primary scientific society, the American Physiological Society (APS), which has provided me with invaluable networks, leadership experiences, and opportunities to present my research. I recently completed a seven-year term as an Associate Editor for one of my society's journals, American Journal of Physiology, Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. I was recently elected to serve as an APS Councillor, the governing body of the APS. I am also an active peer reviewer for numerous scientific journals and research grants for the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. In my community, I serve as a Tarrant County Elections Judge to ensure my community has the opportunity to vote for local, regional, and national political candidates. With my children, I volunteer at the North Richland Hills Food Pantry to ensure members of my community have access to food.