Adrian Zietara, Fifth-Year Physiology PhD Student, Wins Winter Paper of the Season Honor

Adrian Zietara, a fifth-year student in the physiology doctoral program, won the Winter Paper of the Season award from the School of Graduate Studies for their paper, “Knockout of the Circadian Clock Protein PER1 (Period1) Exacerbates Hypertension and Increases Kidney Injury in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats.”

Circadian rhythms play an essential role in physiological function. The molecular clock that underlies circadian physiological function consists of a core group of transcription factors, including the protein PER1 (Period1). Studies in mice show that PER1 plays a role in the regulation of blood pressure and renal sodium handling; however, the results are dependent on the strain being studied. Using male Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats with global knockout of PER1 (SSPer1−/−), the research team aims to test the hypothesis that PER1 plays a key role in the regulation of salt-sensitive blood pressure.