Page 4 - SFRBMdot - December 2014

Radical View • Christopher Kevil, Ph.D.

by Sumitra Miriyala, Ph.D., LSU Health Sciences Center

to have had two excellent free radical/redox strategies that have been tested in clinical

biology leaders, Drs. Matthew Grisham and trials. But, this area of investigation is still

Victor Darley-Usmar, as outstanding teachers ‘young’ (so am I-I think!) and I believe more

during my graduate and fellowship training. exciting discoveries are yet to come.

Their instruction helped me establish an
DOT: What do you think is the direction the
important appreciation for free radical and
Oxidative Stress ield is heading?
redox biology research during disease that

I believe oxidative stress or redox biology is
Christopher
still impacts my research program today.
heading in several directions with disease

KEVIL
DOT: Briely describe your research interest
and clinical based studies being an important
and what is the most notable research
area. However, as the Society is a leading
achievement from your lab?
‘steward’ of the area, it is important that we

DOT: Tell us about your background and My research interest centers on redox collectively work to educate and enlighten

regulation of adaptive and pathophysiological the broader research community with a
when did you realize you were interested in
vascular growth and remodeling. In my sense of collegiality and collaboration. I
science?

graduate work, I was keenly interested in how also believe future areas of oxidative stress
My initial realization of a love for science
peroxides altered endothelial cell functions will be in large network studies coupled with
began in elementary school while performing
(e.g. solute barrier, growth, and inlammation genomics, metabolomics and proteomics. I
a science fair project on different cellular
properties). Over the years, it has become believe we are merely scratching the surface
functions of the brain. Soon after, I realized that
clear that several other redox molecules (e.g. of the biochemical complexity of our ield
I was fascinated with the idea of how tissues
GSH, NO, and H2S) also critically inluence and have such little clear insight into how it

within organs work and how biochemical endothelial cell and vascular functions. From cooperatively functions with other molecular

responses contribute to pathophysiology.
this collective interest, my research group has systems.
This has guided my formal education and still
revealed that redox networks work together
contributes to my current research program.
DOT: In the current climate in which
regulating numerous vascular functions. As
investigators are faced with decreased NIH
DOT: Who has been your greatest teacher? for a notable research achievement, that’s a
funding for research and low morale, what is
What do you think the most important factors dificult question. It’s always challenging (if
the best advice?
are that have shaped your career?
not impossible) to judge the impact of one’s

Collaboration, cleverness and persistence. In
own work. However, if pressed, I would say
I have been lucky to have had input and this current climate, we are all challenged to
that our group has made signiicant strides
advice from many outstanding teachers and
in revealing the importance of GSH and NO be the absolute best that we can be. Often
mentors in the areas of free radical research,
metabolites for ischemic vascular remodeling times, this alone will not win the day. It is
physiology and pathology over the years.
along with identiication of therapeutic
important to remember that collaboration with
However, I consider myself quite fortunate

SFRBM Newsletter // December 2014 // Radical View • Dr. Christopher Kevil

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