Keshari Thakali

Keshari Thakali, PhD serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), specifically within the Section of Developmental Nutrition. Her research is conducted through the Arkansas Children's Research Institute, a nationally ranked pediatric care and research facility.

Dr. Thakali's research focuses on maternal over-nutrition during pregnancy and its programming effects on offspring vascular function. Her laboratory investigates perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) as a critical regulator of vascular reactivity, examining how obesity disrupts PVAT's anti-contractile properties leading to cardiovascular dysfunction. Translational work assesses maternal obesity's contribution to early cardiovascular impairments in offspring through developmental cues, dietary factors, and physical activity interactions.

Her work bridges developmental nutrition and pediatric cardiovascular health, addressing obesity-related hypertension mechanisms originating from intrauterine environments. The research has significant implications for early intervention strategies in at-risk pediatric populations.