Interests
I am interested in elucidating molecular mechanisms regulating aging of the vascular system, which is the major cause of cardiovascular disease. For this purpose, I use mouse models of accelerated aging and atherosclerosis, as well as cells in culture that we isolate from the aorta of these animals. Using these in vitro and in vivo models, we test nutritional interventions, including zinc supplementation and polyphenols from various berries, to reduce vascular aging and the burden of cardiovascular disease during aging.
Education
- B.S., Biochemistry (Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
- M.S., Biochemistry (Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile)
Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology (Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile) - Postdoctoral Training, Cell Biology (Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia)
Publications and Other Scholarly Activities
Salazar G, Huang J, Feresin, RG, Zhao Y and Griendling, KK. Zinc regulates Nox1 expression through a NF-κB and mitochondrial ROS dependent mechanism to induce senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2017 (PMID: 28363602).
Feresin RG, Huang, J, Klarich, D, Zhao Y, Pourafshar S, Arjmandi B, and Salazar G. Blackberry, raspberry and black raspberry polyphenol extracts attenuate angiotensin II-induced senescence in vascular smooth muscle cells. Food and Function 2016 (PMID: 27506987).
Zhao Y, Feresin R, Falcon-Perez J, and Salazar, G. Differential targeting of SLC30A10/ZnT10 heterodimers to endolysosomal compartments modulates MEK/ERK1/2 activity. Traffic 2016 (PMID: 26728129).
Patrushev N, Siedel-Rogol B, and Salazar, G. Angiotensin II requires zinc and downregulation of the zinc transporters ZnT3 and ZnT10 to induce Senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells. PlosOne 2012 (PMID: 22427991).
Accomplishments
- Published manuscripts in high impact factor journals, including Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB), Free Radicals Biology and Medicine (FRBM), Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC), Traffic, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Journal of Cell Science.
- Highlighted research in the cover page of the journal Food and Function
- Funded research by the American Hearth Association (AHA) and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)
- First to report the role of zinc in aging of vascular smooth muscle cells
- Published one of the first evidence of the critical role of a zinc transporter in the regulation of synaptic vesicle composition beyond zinc storage.