Rate My Professor Kenia Nunes

Kenia Pedrosa Nunes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology, where she serves as Program Chair for Biomedical Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Physiology, M.Sc. in Biomedical and Molecular Pharmacology, and B.S. in Biology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Nunes completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Vascular Biology at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University. Her career trajectory includes roles as Associate Scientist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Assistant Research Scientist and Postdoctoral Fellow at Augusta University, and Assistant Professor of Physiology at University President Antonio Carlos in Brazil. Joining Florida Tech in 2015 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, she advanced to Associate Professor in 2021. She teaches courses such as Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Applied Physiology, and Cardiovascular Mechanisms and Pathways.

As a vascular biologist, Nunes specializes in vascular dysfunction linked to diabetes, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, focusing on the innate immune system's contributions through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Her Nunes Lab employs cell cultures, murine models, and human tissues to explore pharmacological targets, including two patents for spider toxin PnTx2-6 in erectile dysfunction treatment, developed with Brazilian and French collaborators. Key publications include 'Hypertension and erectile dysfunction: breaking down the challenges' (American Journal of Hypertension, 2021), 'New insights into RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling: a key regulator of vascular contraction' (Small GTPases, 2021), 'Blockade of the TLR4–MD2 complex lowers blood pressure and improves vascular function in a murine model of type 1 diabetes' (Scientific Reports, 2020), and 'Increased eHSP70-to-iHSP70 ratio disrupts vascular responses to calcium and activates the TLR4-MD2 complex in type 1 diabetes' (Life Sciences, 2022). Nunes has secured major funding, including a National Institutes of Health grant ($486,000, 2022–2025) for HSP70's dual role in diabetes-associated vascular dysfunction, American Heart Association grants totaling $370,000, and a Florida Space Research Program award ($50,000, 2018–2019). Her contributions advance therapeutic strategies for vascular diseases.