Directory Entry For: Petra Haberzettl

Biography

Petra Haberzettl, PhD is member of the Center for Cradiometabolic Science, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in the Devision of Environmental Medicine. Dr. Haberzettl graduated as Diplom Biochemist (master equivalent) from the Ruhr-University Bochum (Bochum, Germany) in 2003 and received her doctoral degree at the ‘Institute for Environmental Medicine’ at the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf, Germany) in 2006. In 2007, she moved to the US where she completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY, USA) in 2011.

Research Interests

Exposure to ambient air pollution is one of the leading causes of death world-wide and has been associated with increases in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Nevertheless, the pathophysiology underlying these health effects remains elusive. Our recent research showed that in mice exposure to air pollution, particularly to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) induces vascular inflammation, impairs vascular signaling in response to VEGF and insulin, interferes with the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and exacerbates the metabolic effects of diet-induced obesity and light-induced circadian dysysnchrony.

Our ongoing research aims to determine:

§  How air pollution exposure induces inflammation and insulin resistance in the blood vessels.

§  How air pollution exposure and diet-induced obesity affect EPC homeostasis and function.

§  How these vascular effects contribute to the development and progression of T2D and CVD.

§  How susceptible states such as diet-induced obesity, circadian dyssynchrony, or aging imapct the toxicity of air pollution.

Mission:

We aim to improve public health by understanding how exposure to polluted air induces vascular and cardiometabolic injury in healthy and susceptible individuals.

Degrees and Certifications

Publications

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