Areas of Expertise

• Acute/chronic kidney failure

Education

• Ph.D., Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University
• Bachelors: Chowan University

Research

Research in Dr. Ratliff's laboratory investigates the mechanisms responsible for acute/chronic kidney failure and associated vascular impairment, including examination of potential therapeutic interventions for prevention of kidney damage/failure. More specifically, his laboratory’s research focuses on four of the following areas: 

1. Examination of fetal and developmental (organogenesis) programming that leads to the susceptibility of acute/chronic kidney disease and hypertension in the neonate and adult. This area of research also includes examination of impaired placental formation and function during gestation that leads to impaired fetal development.
2. Investigation of the role of oxidative stress in programming, promoting and progression of acute/chronic kidney disease and vascular impairment.
3. Investigation of pro-damage signaling “alarmins” (such as HMGB1) that are released from kidney cells rapidly after initial cellular stress (i.e., induced by factors such as hypoxia, toxins, oxidative stress, etc.). Such alarmins signal and stimulate local and systemic inflammation that leads to progressively worsening tissue injury.
4. Examination of the therapeutic efficacy of various stem cells (including renal mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells) and pharmacological agents for their ability to prevent and/or regenerate kidney and vascular tissues after injury.

Publications

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Teaching Responsibilities

• Co-Director, Pulmonary Module (School of Medicine)
• Co-Director, Renal Module (School of Medicine)
• Co-Director, Physiology Course (Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences)