Top Navigation
i want to
Clinical Researchers
Principal Investigator
Neonatology
Associate Division Chief
Neonatology Fellowship
Program Director
Kristina M. Reber, MD is the Interim Associate Division Chief of the Neonatology Section at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The focus of Dr. Reber’s research has been on the developmental regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the newborn intestinal circulation. ENOS is an isoform of nitric oxide synthase that through the conversion of Larginine to L-citrulline forms nitric oxide. Differences in the regulation of the intestinal circulation found in Dr. Reber’s laboratory may partly account for the susceptibility of newborn infants to develop necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease that is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate, particularly among infants born prematurely. Dr. Reber’s research has demonstrated a much lower vascular resistance in the newborn intestinal circulation when compared to the adult intestinal circulation, which is primarily due to the role of eNOS. Currently, Dr. Reber’s laboratory is looking at the role of shear stress in the regulation of eNOS in the newborn swine intestinal circulation and has demonstrated an association between oxidant production, shear stress and subsequent nitric oxide production in the endothelial cell from newborn swine intestinal circulation. Her current studies with endothelial cell culture will specifically examine the role of Rac, a small GTPase, in this proposed pathway using Rac transfection.