Department of Internal Medicine
Cardiovascular Medicine Faculty
Kamal Rahmouni, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Rahmouni's' research interests includes studies of the neurophysiological mechanisms controlling metabolism, autonomic function and cardiovascular system. He is also interested in elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to metabolic alterations, hypertension, and subsequent target-organ damage. The lab uses multidisciplinary approaches including basic cellular systems, genetic models and sophisticated physiological techniques which allow addressing physiological questions at the molecular level.
Honors, Awards, and Organizations
- Young Scholar Award, American Society of Hypertension, 2007.
- New Investigator Award for US Fellows, Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association, 2003.
- American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2001, 2003.
- French Society of Hypertension Pre-doctoral Fellowship, 1999.
- American Physiological Society, Member.
- Council for High Blood Pressure Research, American Heart Association, Member.
- American Autonomic Society, Member
Selected Publications
- Rahmouni K, Morgan DA: The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus mediates the sympathetic and arterial pressure responses to leptin. Hypertension 2007; 49: 647-652.
- Plum L, Rother E, Münzberg H, Wunderlich FT, Morgan DA, Hampel B, Shanabrough M, Janoschek R , Könner AC, Alber J, Suzuki A, Krone W, Horvath TL, Rahmouni K, Brüning JC: Enhanced Leptin-Stimulated Pi3k Activation in the CNS Promotes White Adipose Tissue Transdifferentiation. Cell Metabolism 2007; 6:431-445.
- Nogueiras R, Wiedmer P, Perez-Tilve D, Veyrat-Durebex C, Keogh JM, Sutton GM, Pfluger PT, Castaneda TR, Neschen S, Hofmann SM, Howles PN, Morgan DA, Benoit SC, Szanto I, Schrott B, Schürmann A, Joost HG, Hammond C, Hui DY, Woods SC, Rahmouni K, Butler AA, Farooqi IS, O’Rahilly S, Rohner-Jeanrenaud F, Tschöp MH. The central nervous melanocortin system directly controls peripheral lipid metabolism. Journal of Clinical Investigation2007; 117: 3475-3488.
- Davis RE, Swiderski RE, Rahmouni K, Nishimura DY, Mullins RF, Agassandian K, Philp AR, Searby C, Andrews M, Berry CJ, Thedens DR, Yang B, Weiss R, Cassell MD, Stone EM, Sheffield VC. A knock-in mouse model of the Bardet-Biedl syndrome 1 M390R mutation has cilia defects, ventriculomegaly, retinopathy and obesity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 2007; .
- Rahmouni K, Fath MA, Seo S, Thedens DR, Berry CJ, Weiss R, Nishimura DY, Sheffield VC: Leptin resistance contributes to obesity and hypertension in mouse models of Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Journal of Clinical Investigation2008; 118:1458-67.
- Morgan DA, Thedens DR, Weiss R, Rahmouni K: Mechanisms of renal sympathetic activation to leptin in obesity. American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2008; 31: 1057–1059.
- Seo S, Guo DF, Bugge K, Morgan DA, Rahmouni K, Sheffield VC: Requirement of Bardet-Biedl syndrome proteins for leptin receptor signaling. Human Molecular Genetics 2009; 18: 1323-1331.
- Rahmouni K, Sigmund CD, Haynes WG, Mark AL: Hypothalamic ERK mediates the anorectic and sympathetic thermogenic effects of leptin. Diabetes 2009; 58: 536-542.
- Nogueiras R, Pérez-Tilve D, Veyrat-Durebex C, Morgan DA, Varela L, Haynes WG, Patterson JT, Disse E, Pfluger PT, López M, Woods SC, DiMarchi R, Diéguez C, Rahmouni K, Rohner-Jeanrenaud F, Tschöp MH: Direct control of peripheral lipid deposition by CNS GLP-1-R signaling is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system and blunted in diet-induced obesity. Journal of Neuroscience 2009; 29:5916-25.