Lisa Cassis thinks so.
Cassis has been studying fat since before it was “big.” Back when kids still played outside, and restaurant portions weren’t the size of your head. Before two-thirds of American adults were labeled overweight or obese.
An "accidental" discovery in 1988—that fat makes the precursor protein to angiotensin, a compound that regulates blood pressure—led Cassis to 25 years of research to answer the ultimate question: is this the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease?
To find out if angiotensin is a mediator of obesity’s cardiovascular complications—hypertension (high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries)—Cassis started feeding mice a high-fat, “Americanized” diet.
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With more than 7,000 interviews ranging from Adolph Rupp to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, UK's Louie B. Nunn Center has one of the nation's largest collections of oral histories.
What's Inside
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A Walk across uneven ground
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33 new cancer-fighters
"Shining star" B. Mark Evers and 32 new recruits are helping to shape the future of the UK Markey Cancer Center. Read More »
Math and science grades
An Appalachian program is helping students in 56 districts boost their math and science IQs through teacher training. Read More »
