Nancy J. Rusch

Nancy J. Rusch is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. She holds a Ph.D. from the Mayo Clinic (1983). Her research focuses on ion channel abnormalities in hypertension, particularly calcium and potassium channels in vascular muscle cells, with a goal to identify channel-based therapies for systemic and pulmonary hypertension. She employs molecular, cellular, and in vivo techniques in her investigations.

Recent research grants include NIH R01 grants (e.g., R01 HL097107), AHA Predoctoral Fellowships, and collaborations with institutions like PhRMA and the Arkansas CCTR. She has advised students such as Shrum, Stolarz AJ, and Detweiler ND, contributing to studies on lymphatic dysfunction, renal transplantation, and channel therapies.

Key areas of study include mitochondrial BK channel roles in renal preservation, doxorubicin-induced lymphostasis, and leptin’s impact on obesity-related hypertension. Her work bridges basic science with translational medicine, aiming to improve vascular health outcomes.