Sharon Francis is working as Assistant Professor in Morehouse School of Medicine. Francis done her degree in Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology from University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed her Fellowship in Hypertension and Functional Genomics from University of Florida. She received awards from NIH, NHLBI Support of Competitive Research: Research Advancement Award (SC1). Morehouse School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute P50 Co-Investigator Collaborative Award

Obesity is a major and growing health problem in the United States and throughout the world that predisposes individuals to an increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and stroke. The underlying basis for these clinical sequelae is systemic vascular disease. Expansion of adipose tissue mass during obesity alters adipocytokine, adipocyte-derived hormones, production and secretion which can affect downstream signaling pathways that mediate changes in vascular structure and function. Serine/threonine kinases are an important class of regulatory molecules that transmit signals from adipocytokines to control rapid and reversible phosphorylation of specific substrates that influence cellular differentiation, growth and survival processes important to normal vascular function and disease development. As vascular remodeling involves changes in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration, survival and inflammatory processes, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular proliferative diseases is a critical towards the development of effective therapeutic intervention.