Srinivas Sriramula, BVSC, MVSC, PhD

Education/Employment

2023 – present Associate Professor (Tenured), East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2017 – 2023 Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2015 – 2017 Instructor (Research), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
2011- 2015 Postdoctoral Fellow, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
2010 Ph.D., School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
2004 Master of Veterinary Science (MVSc), ANGR Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India.
2001 Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc&AH), ANGR Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India.

Research Interests

Our laboratory investigates how integrated inflammatory and central nervous system mechanisms regulate blood pressure and shape long-term cardiovascular and brain health. We focus on three interconnected research directions: (1) defining neuroimmune pathways that drive hypertension and hypertension induced cognitive deficits; (2) uncovering inflammatory mechanisms that contribute to target organ damage and heart failure; and (3) understanding how chronic neuroinflammation and aging influence cognitive decline and susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases. Using complementary in vivo and in vitro approaches, spanning physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology, and gene-targeting technologies, we systematically integrate sex as a biological variable to define sex-specific pathways that influence disease susceptibility and progression. Our overarching goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets that protect cardiovascular and neural function across the lifespan.

Cardiovascular Parameters, Target Organs, Primary Cells and Immunoflorescence Staining

Current Research Projects:

Neuroimmune Regulation of Hypertension: A major focus of our research centers on the kinin B1 receptor and its role in driving neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and sympathetic overactivation in hypertension. Supported by NIH/NHLBI funding, this work aims to define how central immune signaling reshapes cardiovascular control circuits and contributes to the development of age- and sex-dependent hypertension.

Kinin B1 Receptor Signaling in Target Organ Damage and Heart Failure: We investigate how kinin B1 receptor-mediated inflammatory pathways contribute to structural and functional damage in the heart, vasculature, kidneys, and metabolic tissues, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms underlying hypertension and heart failure. This research also explores how the Kallikrein-Kinin System interacts with the Renin-Angiotensin System to drive cardiovascular injury. Understanding sex-dependent differences in these pathways is integral to developing more precise therapeutic strategies.

Neuroinflammation, Aging, and Neurodegenerative Disease Risk: Our team studies how chronic inflammatory signaling within the aging brain influences cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and susceptibility to neurodegenerative processes. Using advanced neural, cellular, and behavioral approaches, we aim to elucidate how neuroimmune interactions contribute to disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. A particular emphasis is placed on how aging and biological sex interact to shape vulnerability to neuroinflammation-driven hypertension-induced cognitive impairment.

Research keywords: hypertension, heart failure, neuroimmunology, neuroscience, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia.

Selected Publications

For a full list of publications on PubMed click here.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9937-1589
(Advisee/trainee of Dr. Sriramula are underlined; *denotes senior or lead author)

Theobald D, Ahmed SA, Abdel-Rahman AA, Sriramula S*. Kinin B1 receptor mediates acute cardiovascular and neural responses following cannabinoid receptor 1 activation in conscious male mice. Physiological Reports. 2025. 13(18):e70579. doi: 10.14814/phy2.70579. PMID: 40976942 PMCID: PMC12450756.
Pokharel BR, Majumdar N, Williams F, Dickerson A, Croy H, Eells JB, Didonna A, Sriramula S, Cook PP, Akula SM. SARS-CoV-2 infection of substantia nigra pars compacta induces expression of miR-330-5p at 10 days post-infection. Journal of General Virology. 2025. 106(9). doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.002149. PMID: 40900636.
Theobald D, Bessetti R, Feng-Earley Y, Lazartigues E, Litwa K, Sriramula S*. Targeting kinin B1R attenuates hypertension through AT1R-dependent mechanisms. Circulation Research. 2025. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.326648. PMID: 40832695.
Wu X, Williams S, Robidoux J, Sriramula S, Abdel AR. Advanced Cardiac Organoid Model for Studying Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity. Toxicol Sci. 2025 Aug 12:kfaf115. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaf115. PMID: 40796330.
Theobald D, de Castro Braz LE, Akula SM, Eells JB, Sriramula S*. Inhibition of kinin B1 receptor alleviates SARS-CoV-2-induced long-lasting cardiovascular complications. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2025 Mar 1;328(3):H711-H718. PMID: 39982452.
Elgazzaz M, Lakkappa N, Berdasco C, Mohan UP, Nuzzo A, Restivo L, Martinez A, Scarborough A, Guidry JJ, Sriramula S, Xu J, Daoud H, Mendiola Plá MA, Bowles DE, Beyer AM, Mauvais-Jarvis F, Yue X, Filipeanu CM, Lazartigues E. UBR1 Promotes Sex-Dependent ACE2 Ubiquitination in Hypertension. Hypertension. 2025. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.23196. PMID: 39601126.
Williams MD, Morgan JS, Bullock MT, Poovey CE, Wisniewski ME, Francisco JT, Barajas-Nunez JA, Hijazi AM, Theobald D, Sriramula S, Mansfield KD, Holland NA, & Tulis DA. pH-sensing GPR68 inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through Rap1A. American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2024;327:H1210-H1229. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00413.2024. PMID: 39269448.
Sriramula S*, Theobald D, Parekh RU, Akula SM, O’Rourke DP, Eells JB. Emerging Role of Kinin B1 Receptor in Persistent Neuroinflammation and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mice Following Recovery from SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Cells. 2023; 12(16):2107. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12162107. PMID: 37626917.
Mohammed M, Ogunlade B, Elgazzaz M, Berdasco C, Lakkappa N, Ghita I, Guidry J, Sriramula S, Xu J, Restivo L, Mendiola Pla M, Bowles D, Beyer A, Yue X, Lazartigues E, Filipeanu CM. Nedd4-2 upregulation is associated with ACE2 ubiquitination in hypertension. Cardiovascular Research. 2023. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvad070. PMID: 37161607.
Theobald D, Nair AR, Sriramula S*, Francis J. Cardiomyocyte-specific Deletion of TLR4 Attenuates Angiotensin II-induced Hypertension and Cardiac Remodeling. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2023; 10:1074700. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1074700.
Theobald D, Sriramula S*. Kinin B1 Receptor Mediates Bidirectional Interaction between Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants. 2023; 12, 150. doi: 10.3390/antiox12010150. PMID:
Byrne SE, Vishwakarma N, Sriramula S, Katwa LC. Dopamine receptor 3: A mystery at the heart of cardiac fibrosis. Life Sciences. 27:120918. PMID: 36041503.
Smeyne RJ, Eells JB, Chatterjee D, Byrne M, Akula SM, Sriramula S, O’Rourke DP, Schmidt P. COVID-19 Infection Enhances Susceptibility to Oxidative Stress-Induced Parkinsonism. Movement Disorders. 2022. doi: 10.1002/mds.29116. PMID: 35579496.
White A, Parekh RU, Theobald D, Pakala P, Myers AL, Van Dross R, Sriramula S. Kinin B1R Activation Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Primary Hypothalamic Neurons. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022. 13:841068. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.841068. PMID: 35350763.
Basuli D, Parekh RU, White A, Thayyil A, Sriramula S. Kinin B1 Receptor Mediates Renal Injury and Remodeling in Hypertension. Frontiers in Medicine. 2022; 8:780834. PMID: 35118089.
Parekh RU, White A, Leffler KE, Biancardi VC, Eells JB, Abdel-Rahman AA, Sriramula S. Hypothalamic kinin B1 receptor mediates orexin system hyperactivity in neurogenic hypertension. Scientific Reports. 2021. 11:21050. PMID: 34702886.
Kissling A, Byrne S, Parekh RU, Melit-Thomas D, de Castro Brás LE, Lust RM, Clemens S, Sriramula S, Katwa LC. Loss of function in dopamine D3 receptor attenuates left ventricular cardiac fibroblasts migration and proliferation in vitro. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2021. 8:732282. PMID: 34708087.
Parekh RU, Sriramula S. Activation of Kinin B1R Upregulates ADAM17 and Results in ACE2 Shedding in Neurons. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 22:145. PMID: 33375653
Sriramula S. Kinin B1 receptor: A target for neuroinflammation in hypertension. Pharmacological Research. 2020. 155:104715. PMID: 32087235.
Parekh RU, Robidoux J, Sriramula S. Kinin B1 Receptor Blockade Prevents Angiotensin II-induced Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress in Primary Hypothalamic Neurons. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. 2019. 40(5):845-857. PMID: 31865500.
Reed JT, Pareek T, Sriramula S, Pabbidi MR. Aging influences cerebrovascular myogenic reactivity and BK channel function in a sex-specific manner. Cardiovascular Research. 2019. 116:1372-1385. PMID: 31738403.
Basting T, Xu J, Mukerjee S, Epling J, Fuchs R, Sriramula S, Lazartigues E. Glutamatergic neurons of the paraventricular nucleus are critical contributors to the development of neurogenic hypertension. Journal of Physiology. 596:6235-6248. PMID: 30151830.
Xu J, Sriramula S, Lazartigues E. Excessive glutamate stimulation impairs ACE2 activity through ADAM17-mediated shedding in cultured cortical neurons. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. 2018, 38:1235-1243. PMID: 29766392.
Sriramula S*, Lazartigues E. Kinin B1 receptor promotes neurogenic hypertension through activation of centrally mediated mechanisms. 2017. 70:1122-1131. PMID: 29038201.
Xu J, Sriramula S, Xia H, Moreno-Walton L, Culicchia F, Domenig O, Poglitsch M, Lazartigues E. Clinical relevance and role of neuronal AT1 receptors in ADAM17-mediated ACE2 shedding in neurogenic hypertension. Circulation Research. 121:43-55.
Sriramula S*, Joseph Francis*. Tumor necrosis factor – alpha is essential for angiotensin II-induced ventricular remodeling: Role for oxidative stress. PLoS ONE. 2015. 10(9):e0138372.
Sriramula S, Xia H, Xu P, Lazartigues E. Brain-targeted angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 overexpression attenuates neurogenic hypertension by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-mediated inflammation. Hypertension. 2015. 65(3):577-86.
Xia H*, Sriramula S*, Kavaljit H, Lazartigues E. Brain ACE2 shedding contributes to the development of neurogenic hypertension. Circulation Research. 2013. 113:1087-1096.
Sriramula S, Cardinale JP, Francis J. Inhibition of TNF in the brain reverses alterations in RAS components and attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension. PLoS ONE. 2013. 8(5):e63847.
Sriramula S, Cardinale JP, Lazartigues E, Francis J. ACE2 overexpression in the paraventricular nucleus attenuates angiotensin Ii-induced hypertension. Cardiovascular Research 2011. 92:401-8. (Editorial Comment by Olaf Grisk, Cardiovascular Research. 2011, 92:365-366).
Sriramula S, Haque M, Majid DS, Francis J. Involvement of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Angiotensin II-Mediated Effects on Salt Appetite, Hypertension, and Cardiac Hypertrophy. 2008. 51(5):1345-1351.

Honors and Awards

2025 Hypertension 2025 Scientific Sessions – New Investigator Travel Award (Alexandra Johnston)
2025 APS CVS Research Recognition Award from the American Physiology Summit (Drew Theobald)
2024 APS NCAR Research Recognition Award from the American Physiology Summit (Drew Theobald)
2023 Hypertension 2023 Scientific Sessions – Hypertension New Investigator Award (Drew Theobald)
2023 APS CNS Section Research Recognition Award from the American Physiology Summit (Drew Theobald)
2023 Martin Frank Diversity Travel Award from the American Physiology Summit (Acacia White)
2022 Cardiovascular Section Steven M. Horvath Professional Opportunity Award (to Graduate Student Acacia White)
2021 Outstanding Research Scholar, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
2020 Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions Top Trainee Advocacy Award (to Graduate Student – Rohan Parekh)
2019 American Society of Nephrology/American Physiological Society Travel Award (to Fellow – Dr. Debargha Basuli)
2015 American Physiological Society Caroline tum Suden/Francis A. Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award
2014 American Physiological Society Cardiovascular Section Research Recognition Award
2013 Neural Control and Autonomic Regulation Section Postdoctoral and Early Career Research Recognition Award from American Physiological Society
2012 High Blood Pressure Research Conference New Investigator Travel Award for Trainees
2012 American Physiological Society Central Nervous System Research Recognition Award
2011 Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference New Investigator Award

Grant Funding

NIH/NHLBI 1 RO1 HL153115-01 08/15/2020 – 07/31/2025 (NCE 07/31/2026)
Role: PI; Project Title: Neuroimmune Mechanisms of Kinin B1 Receptor in Hypertension

Brody Brothers Endowment Pilot Award, ECU 01/01/2025 – 01/30/2026
Role: Co-PI; Project Title: Kinin B1 receptor mediated neuroimmune mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology

Brody Brothers Endowment Award, ECU 01/01/2023 – 12/30/2023
Role: Co-PI; Project Title: A Kinin B1R Antagonist as a Therapeutic to Prevent COVID-19 Pathology

American Parkinson Disease Association Research grant, 09/01/2023 – 8/31/2024
Role: Co-I; Project Title: Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection induced dopamine neuron damage

American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant (15SDG25720021) 07/01/2015-06/30/2019
Role: PI; Project Title: Role of bradykinin B1 receptor in neurogenic hypertension

Laboratory Members

Name	Title	Building/Room	Phone
Robin Alligood	Research Specialist	BSOM 6W-35	252-744-1385
Drew Theobald	Graduate Student	BSOM 6W-35	252-744-1385
Alexandra Johnston	Masters Student	BSOM 6W-35	252-744-1385
Former Lab Members: Rohan Parekh (PhD student, 2018-2022) Drew Theobald (MS student, 2021-2023) Dr. Ramesh Gogulothu, (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2023) Acacia White (PhD student, 2021-2025)