Robert Fenton says: “High blood pressure or hypertension (HTN) is a major threat to public health. It affects over a billion people worldwide and is the single greatest contributor to premature death and disability in the world. The underlying causes of most forms of HTN are largely unknown, but current evidence indicates that it is rooted in complex genetic and environmental interactions, with obesity and western diets fueling an uncontrollable HTN epidemic. While high dietary salt (sodium chloride) consumption is a key primary environmental trigger, growing evidence indicates that dietary potassium deficiency plays a major role in increasing BP as well. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon are unclear. This project will examine how the kidney handles alterations in dietary potassium, concentrating on the molecular basis of sodium chloride and potassium handling in mouse models and humans and how it modulates BP. The results may uncover new therapeutic targets to control or even prevent HTN.”