Professor & Director, PhD Program in Nursing Science
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing
Dr. Mary B. Engler is Professor and Director/Chair of the PhD Program in the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She was the Training Director and Senior Clinician, Chief of the Vascular Biology Unit, Tissue Injury Branch, in the Division of Intramural Research at NINR previously at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD. Dr. Engler is uniquely trained as a cardiovascular physiologist, nurse scientist, and clinician and was previously a Full Professor and Director of the Cardiovascular and Genomics Graduate Programs at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing. She obtained her undergraduate degrees in Nursing and Biology from Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia, and American University, Washington, D.C. She also earned a Master’s of Science degree in Biology from American University. She obtained her PhD in Physiology with a focus on cardiovascular from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Her doctoral research training was also at NHLBI and NIAAA, NIH.
Dr. Engler’s primary research focus is on nutritional interventions and vascular biology in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, healthy dietary factors or nutrients that may improve vascular health and that lower the risk for developing cardiovascular disease are investigated. These studies examine the effects of certain flavonoids, found in fruits and vegetables, on vascular endothelial function, arterial stiffness, oxidative stress, inflammatory and vascular biomarkers, blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, & proteomics. These investigations will provide important information on the role of flavonoid-rich nutrients and their effect on arterial structure and function. These studies will also lead to future therapeutic strategies to lower CVD risk to optimize the health of military members and ensure operational readiness.