Rita C a TostesRita C. Tostes was born in Brodowski, in the Southeast of Brazil. She received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo. She was introduced to cardiovascular research by Professors Lusiane M. Bendhack an Ana Maria de Oliveira, in Brazil. Her training in vascular physiology and pharmacology included the mentorship of Professors R. Clinton Webb (Augusta, Georgia), Maria Helena Carvalho (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Ernesto L. Schiffrin (Montreal, Quebec), and Rhian M. Touyz (Glasgow, Scotland). With them she discovered the exciting world of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of vascular function under physiological and, particularly, under pathological conditions. Her research group investigates the mechanisms causing vascular dysfunction in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. She has a special interest in the role of sex hormones, aldosterone, endothelins, and the immune system in the development and progression of arterial hypertension and in the complications associated with diabetes and obesity. Read More Read Less