Ibra S. Fancher

Ibra S. Fancher serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Applied Physiology within the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware. His research program focuses on vascular physiology with particular emphasis on ion channel mechanisms underlying cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Dr. Fancher directs the Vascular Ion Channel Research Laboratory and maintains active editorial roles with BMC Cardiovascular Disorders and AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Dr. Fancher completed his PhD in Exercise Physiology at West Virginia University in 2014 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, and Department of Physical Therapy.

His research investigates how cardiovascular risk factors impair vascular function through mechanisms involving smooth muscle and endothelial ion channels, particularly inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels. Current work examines how obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia disrupt vascular tone regulation through CD36-mediated pathways, glycocalyx alterations, and cholesterol-protein interactions. The laboratory employs physiological, cellular, and molecular techniques in both animal models and human subjects to identify novel therapeutic targets for preventing vascular dysfunction progression.

Analysis of Dr. Fancher's recent publications reveals a strong focus on vascular ion channels (particularly Kir2.1), adipose-vascular interactions, endothelial mechanotransduction, and the role of CD36 in metabolic vascular disease. His work spans basic molecular mechanisms to translational human studies, with increasing emphasis on obesity-hypertension interactions and immunometabolic aspects of vascular function.

• Editorial Board Member, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
• Editorial Board Member, AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology
• Member, APS Awards Committee

Dr. Fancher directs the Vascular Ion Channel Research Laboratory which investigates mechanisms of vascular dysfunction in cardiovascular risk factors. His team uses physiological, cellular, and molecular approaches to study ion channels in disease pathways, with particular focus on how obesity, diabetes, and hypertension impair vascular function through distinct mechanisms involving endothelial Kir channels and glycocalyx integrity. Current research explores CD36-mediated pathways, lipid-ion channel interactions, and adipose-vascular crosstalk in disease progression.