Education
- Associate Research Scientist, Yale University, Clinical Immunology and Allergy
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute
- Ph.D. '84, Pharmacology, New York Medical College
- B.A. Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Honors and Awards
- Established Investigator Award, American Heart Association, 1998-2001
- Hoechst Marion Roussel Young Scholars Award, American Society of Hypertension, 1999
- Tarnower Scholar, American Heart Association, 1993-1994
- Excellence in Teaching Award (Pharmacology); New York Medical College, 1993
Research
Laboratory research focuses on the role of inflammation in hypertension and kidney disease. Hypertension is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular complications, in part because inflammatory processes promote kidney injury and progressive loss of renal function.
Our work has shown that the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) not only contributes to kidney damage but also plays important physiological roles in maintaining normal kidney function. We are investigating how TNF signaling regulates communication between kidney epithelial cells and immune cells, influences sodium handling, and drives hypertension. By defining these mechanisms, our goal is to identify kidney-specific therapeutic strategies that reduce inflammatory kidney injury while preserving the beneficial functions of the immune system.
Publications
- Neelamegam K, Ramasamy C, Samivel R, et. al. "Renal Tubule Cell-Specific Npr1 is Essential to Regulate Blood Pressure and Kidney Dysfunction." Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 83(7), (2026) e25890. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.125.25890
- Hubbi S, Hao S, Epps J, et. al. "Tumour necrosis factor-alpha at the intersection of renal epithelial and immune cell function." The Journal of physiology, 603(10), (2025) 2915-2936. doi: 10.1113/JP286756
- Hao S, Lasaracina AP, Epps J, et. al. "TNF inhibits NKCC2 phosphorylation by a calcineurin-dependent pathway." American journal of physiology. Renal physiology, 328(4), (2025) F489-F500. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00251.2024
- Hao S, DelliPizzi A, Lasaracina AP, et. al. "TNF inhibits AQP2 expression via a miR137-dependent pathway." American journal of physiology. Renal physiology, 326(1), (2024) F152-F164. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00210.2023
- Hao S, Zhao H, Hao DH, et. al. "MicroRNA-195a-5p Regulates Blood Pressure by Inhibiting NKCC2A." Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 80(2), (2023) 426-439. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19794
- Crorkin P, Hao S, Ferreri NR, et. al. "Responses to Ang II (Angiotensin II), Salt Intake, and Lipopolysaccharide Reveal the Diverse Actions of TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor-α) on Blood Pressure and Renal Function." Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 79(12), (2022) 2656-2670. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19464
- Drugge ED, Farhan K, Zhao H, et. al. "Sex and race differences in urinary Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) levels: Secondary analysis of the DASH-sodium trial." Journal of human hypertension, 37(8), (2023) 701-708. doi: 10.1038/s41371-022-00748-z
Teaching Responsibilities
- Immunopharmacology (Course Director), Medical Pharmacology, Graduate Pharmacology
