Drs. Mary (left) and Marguerite Engler
NINR is pleased to welcome Dr. Marguerite Engler and her sister Dr. Mary Engler to its Intramural Research Program (IRP). The Englers bring with them prestigious track records as nurse scientists with a focus on cardiovascular health, including the possible health benefits of substances found in cocoa, dark chocolate and other sweet treats.
Marguerite M. Engler, PhD, RN, FAHA, is a Senior Clinician in the Division of Intramural Research at NINR and Chief of the Cardiovascular Symptoms Unit of the NINR IRP. She is a former Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Physiological Nursing at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Her research focuses on the role of nutrition and various nutrients in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. She was the principal investigator on the EARLY (Endothelial Assessment of Risk in Lipids from Youth) trial, a study that examined the effects of diet and nutritional supplements on the cardiovascular health of children and adolescents with high cholesterol who are at increased risk for coronary artery disease. Dr. Engler’s recent studies have focused on the effects of the Mediterranean diet and omega-3 fatty acids on vascular health in children with hereditary hyperlipidemia. She has published in highly respected, peer-reviewed scientific journals including the American Journal of Hypertension, Lipids, British Journal of Pharmacology, Experimental Biology and Medicine and many more. She is also the former Editor-in-Chief of Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing.
Mary B. Engler, PhD, RN, is a Senior Clinician and Chief of the Vascular Biology Unit of the Tissue Injury Branch in the NINR IRP. She previously held positions as Professor and Director of the Cardiovascular and Genomics Graduate programs in the Department of Physiological Nursing at UCSF. Her area of research has focused on nutritional interventions and vascular biology in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Engler has been a pioneer in the study of the vascular effects of the omega-3 fatty acids, and was the first to demonstrate the direct vasorelaxation effects of DHA, the major omega-3 fatty acid, in 1990. She has also studied the effects of flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables, on vascular endothelial function, oxidative stress measures, blood lipid profile and blood pressure in healthy adults. Her work has shown how flavonoid-rich dark chocolate can improve blood vessels’ ability to dilate or expand. Her research team also found that the major flavonoid in chocolate, epicatechin, was absorbed at high levels in the blood (J Am Coll Nutr 2004, Nutr Res 2004, Nutr Reviews 2006). Dr. Engler was also the co-investigator on the EARLY study. Her recent studies have focused on the effects of the Mediterranean diet and omega-3 fatty acids on vascular health in children with hereditary hyperlipidemia.
“The NINR Intramural Research Program is delighted to welcome scientists of the Englers’ caliber to campus,” said Dr. Raymond Dionne, scientific director of the NINR IRP. “Their work is a unique combination of important physiological and cardiovascular science with a high degree of public interest, and we are very fortunate to have them on staff as nurse scientists and mentors.”
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Page last updated May 04, 2012
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