Khalid El Saafien Lab | Molecular & Cellular Physiology

Dr. Khalid El Saafien is a man with light complexion, short brown hair and moustache, wearing a lab coat over blue shirt

Khalid El Saafien, PhD

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

BS - University of Melbourne, Australia
PhD - University of Melbourne, Australia
Postdoctoral Training - University of Florida and Georgia State University

NEWS

Two men in suits pose, one holding a plaque, both smiling

Scientist looking into a microscope in a laboratory

Researchers Identify Brain Cell Crosstalk That Raises Blood Pressure

Researchers at LSU Health Shreveport, Texas A&M University and Georgia State University collaborated to study how specialized brain cells communicate to control cardiovascular function. Understanding these pathways could improve how clinicians predict, prevent and treat hypertension.

April 23, 2026 – Dr. Salman, Postdoctoral Associate in Elsaafien Laboratory, is selected to present a poster titled “PIEZO channels and estrogen receptors expressed on aortic baroreceptors may contribute to sex differences in baroreflex sensitivity” at the American Physiology Summit to be held on April 23-26 in Minneapolis, MN.

April 23, 2026 – Gavyn Navarro, Research Associate in Elsaafien Laboratory, is selected to present a poster titled “Structural differences in aortic baroreceptors of male and female mice may contribute to sex differences in cardiovascular disease” at the American Physiology Summit to be held on April 23-26 in Minneapolis, MN.

April 16th, 2026 – Dr. Elsaafien received a research excellence award and was recognized with the “Excellence in Scholarly Activity 2026” during the 8th Annual Research Celebration at LSU Health Shreveport.

April 10, 2026 – Dr. Elsaafien is invited to present a seminar titled “Stretch Sensitive Vagal Afferents Monitor the Cardiovascular System” at the Annual Gulf Cost Vascular Research Consortium to be held on April 10-11 in Shreveport, LA.

April 10, 2026 – Dr. Salman, Postdoctoral Associate in Elsaafien Laboratory, is selected to present a poster titled “PIEZO channels and estrogen receptors expressed on aortic baroreceptors may contribute to sex differences in baroreflex sensitivity” at the Annual Gulf Cost Vascular Research Consortium to be held on April 10-11 in Shreveport, LA.

April 10, 2026 – Gavyn Navarro, Research Associate in Elsaafien Laboratory, is selected to present a poster titled “Structural differences in aortic baroreceptors of male and female mice may contribute to sex differences in cardiovascular disease” at the Annual Gulf Cost Vascular Research Consortium to be held on April 10-11 in Shreveport, LA.

January 30, 2026 – Dr. Elsaafien in collaboration with the Department of Medical Physiology at Texas A&M University and the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University publishes a study titled “Oxytocin and Vasopressin Cross Talk Within the Brain Increases Blood Pressure” in Circulation Research (5-year impact factor: 20.8). The study utilizes integrative systems neurophysiology approaches to demonstrate that oxytocin and vasopressin synthesizing neurons interact within the brain to increase blood pressure, highlighting mechanisms that may contribute to cardiovascular disease. Link to publication.

January 22, 2026 – Dr. Elsaafien is invited to present a seminar titled “From Stretch to Signals: Unraveling the Neurophysiology of Cardiovascular Regulation and Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease” at the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Shreveport.

January 7, 2026 – Dr. Elsaafien is invited to present a seminar titled “From Stretch to Signal: Unraveling the Neurophysiology of Cardiovascular Regulation” at the Department of Medical Physiology at Texas A&M University.

December 1, 2025 – Dr. Saleh Salman, MSc, PhD, joins the Elsaafien Laboratory as a Postdoctoral Associate. Dr. Salman is a Fullbright Scholar, awarded with his PhD from University of California, Davis in September of 2025. He brings expertise in neuroendocrinology, reproductive biology, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and molecular biology.

December 1, 2025 – Mr. Gavyn Navarro, BSc, joins the Elsaafien Laboratory as a Research Associate. Mr. Navarro obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree from Pennsylvania State University in May of 2025. He brings expertise in Immunofluorescence and Molecular Biology.

September 26, 2025 – Khalid El Saafien, PHD, Assistant Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, has received the Gill Award for Early Career Contribution to Cardiovascular Research presented by The Gill Heart and Vascular Institute at the University of Kentucky. Dr. El Saafien was invited to present a seminar titled “From Stretch to Signals: Unraveling the Neurophysiology of Cardiovascular Regulation” at the 27th Cardiovascular Research Day hosted by the Saha Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he was presented with the award.

The Gill Award for Early Career Contribution is a nomination-only award that recognizes an early career investigator, typically within the first seven years of their faculty appointment, for innovation and creativity that has impacted cardiovascular research and/or advancements in clinical care.

September 26, 2025 – Dr. Elsaafien is invited to present a seminar titled “From Stretch to Signal: Unraveling the Neurophysiology of Cardiovascular Regulation” at the 27th Cardiovascular Research Day hosted by the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

September 1, 2025 – The Elsaafien Laboratory was awarded an NIH-NHLBI R00 grant to Investigate Afferent Baroreflex Dysfunction in Hypertension.

Research

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Despite the plethora of anti-hypertensive drugs, approximately 20% of hypertensive patients suffer from drug-resistant hypertension. Patients with resistant hypertension often exhibit increased sympathetic nerve activity. Therefore, to develop effective therapeutic targets, understanding the sympathetic control of the cardiovascular system is warranted.

Dr. El Saafien’s laboratory utilizes integrative systems neurophysiology approaches to understand autonomic control and regulation of blood pressure. This involves directed gene transfer, advanced neuroanatomical tracing and microscopy, RNAscope in situ hybridization, transcriptomics, in vivo optogenetics, pharmacology and cardiovascular physiology to interrogate autonomic circuits that regulate blood pressure. The goal of our studies is to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Current Projects

1. Investigating Afferent Baroreflex Dysfunction in Hypertension

Figure 1: A schematic depicting the neuroanatomy of the baroreflex (left). Arterial baroreceptors innervating the aortic arch in red (right).

The baroreflex is a homeostatic neural reflex capable of sensing elevations in blood pressure and reducing sympathetic nerve activity to restore blood pressure back to optimal levels. Dr. El Saafien have developed a novel approach to selectively target arterial baroreceptors innervating the aortic arch (Figure 1); [PMID: 35399269, PMCID: PMC8987286]. We found arterial baroreceptors to express a wide range of channels involved in baroreception, termed as “Molecular Sensors of Stretch”. This project investigates the role molecular sensors of stretch play in regulating blood pressure and pathogenesis of renovascular hypertension. This project is currently funded by an R00 from the NIH-NHLBI.

2. The Interaction between Aortic Baroreceptors and Ovarian Hormones

Figure 2: mRNAs of the Molecular Sensors of Stretch (white) expressed by aortic baroreceptors (red) in males and females.

The American Heart Association actively calls for greater recognition and research into sex-specific differences in cardiovascular disease. Hypertension affects men and women differently. Men have higher prevalence in middle age, whereas women have higher prevalence that exceeds men in older age. In addition, ~6% of pregnant women experience preeclampsia (high blood pressure occurring during pregnancy). We found sex-specific differences in the neuroanatomy of aortic baroreceptors between males and females (Figure 2). This project investigates the interaction between ovarian hormones and aortic baroreceptors in the pathogenesis of hypertension and preeclampsia.

3. The Interplay between Aortic Baroreceptors and the Inflammatory Reflex

Figure 3: mRNAs of pro-inflammatory markers in aortic baroreceptors.

The inflammatory reflex is a homeostatic neural reflex capable of sensing and regulating the levels of circulating inflammatory cytokine levels. In hypertension, the inflammatory reflex seems to be impaired leading to a chronic pro-inflammatory state in hypertension. We found arterial baroreceptors innervating the aortic arch to express markers for pro-inflammatory cytokines (Figure 3). This project investigates the interaction between aortic baroreceptors and the inflammatory reflex in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

4. Intranasal Drug Delivery to Alleviate Hypertension

Illustration of nasal cavity in a head and the approach to deliver therapeutics to the brain. — Figure 4: Nose-to-Brain approach to deliver therapeutics to the brain.

One of the challenges in targeting neuronal circuits with therapeutics is reaching the brain. Unlike other organs, the brain contains a blood brain barrier which restricts exchange between brain tissue and blood. The intranasal approach takes advantage of the anatomy our nasal cavity anatomy. The cribriform plate separates the brain from the nasal cavity. The olfactory nerve transverses through the cribriform plate to reach the olfactory zone of the nasal cavity (Figure 4). This project examines the intranasal delivery of therapeutics that target neuronal populations in the brain to reduce sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in hypertension.

Publications

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Elsaafien, K., Kirchner, M.K., Baumer-Harrison, C., Tan, Y., Johnson, D.N., Vincent, C.J., Scott, K.A., Zhou, J., Zhang, Y., Lang, Y. and Bulitta, J., 2026. Oxytocin and Vasopressin Cross Talk Within the Brain Increases Blood Pressure. Circulation Research. [PMID: 41616097, PMCID: PMC12904227]
Elsaafien K, Harden SW, Johnson DN, Kimball AK, Sheng W, Smith JA, Scott KA, Frazier CJ, de Kloet AD, Krause EG, 2022. “A Novel Organ-Specific Approach to Selectively Target Sensory Afferents Innervating the Aortic Arch”. Frontiers in physiology, 13: 841078. [PMID: 35399269, PMCID: PMC8987286]
Elsaafien K, Kirchner MK, Mohammed M, Eikenberry SA, West C, Scott KA, de Kloet AD, Stern JE, Krause EG, 2021. “Identification of novel cross- talk between the neuroendocrine and autonomic stress axes controlling blood pressure”. Journal of Neuroscience, 41(21):4641- 57. [PMID: 33858944, PMCID: PMC8260250]
Baumer-Harrison, C., Elsaafien, K., Johnson, D.N., Aponte, J.D.P., de Araujo, A., Patel, S., Bruce, E., Harden, S.W., Frazier, C.J., Scott, K.A., de Lartigue, G., Krause, E.G. and de Kloet, A.D, 2024. “Alleviating hypertension by selectively targeting angiotensin receptor expressing vagal sensory neurons”. Journal of Neuroscience, 28;44(9). [PMID: 38242697; PMCID: PMC10904025]
Baumer-Harrison, C., Aponte, J.D.P., Elsaafien, K., Johnson, D.N., Scott, K.A., Krause, E.G. and de Kloet, A.D., 2025. “A Closed-Loop Approach to Monitor and Manipulate the Neural Control of Blood Pressure”. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 422, 110528. [PMID: 40618904]
Scott KA, Tan Y, Johnson DN, Elsaafien K, Baumer-Harrison C, Mendez-Hernandez R, Kirchner MK, Eikenberry SA, Sa JM, Stern JE, de Lartigue G, de Kloet AD, Krause EG. 2025. “Mechanosensation of the Heart and Gut Elicits Hypometabolism and Vigilance in Mice”. Nature Metabolism, 7(2), pp.263-275. [PMID: 39824919, PMCID: PMC12232619]
Elsaafien K, Kirchner MK, Scott KA, Spector EA, Mowry FE, Sumners C, Stern JE, de Kloet AD, Krause EG. 2025. “Neurons of the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala that Express Angiotensin Type 2 Receptors Couple Low Blood Pressure with Anxiolysis in Male Mice”. Journal of Neuroscience, 45(12). [PMID: 39909561; PMCID: PMC11924993]

Complete List of Published Work in my Bibliography

Funding

Title: Investigating Afferent Baroreflex Dysfunction in Hypertension
Grant Number: 4R00HL175100-03
Agency: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Name of PI: El Saafien, Khalid
Period: 09/2025 - 08/2028

Title: Investigating Afferent Baroreflex Dysfunction in Hypertension
Grant Number: 1K99HL175100-01
Agency: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Name of PI: El Saafien, Khalid
Period: 08/2024 - 08/2025

Title: Engaging a Novel Brain Circuit Containing Angiotensin Type-2 Receptors to Relieve Neurogenic Hypertension
Grant Number: 23POST1020034
Agency: American Heart Association
Name of PI: El Saafien, Khalid
Period: 01/2023 - 08/2024

TEAM

Three men in lab coats looking at camera, standing in a laboratory

Principal Investigator

Khalid El Saafien, PhD
Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology khalid.elsaafien@lsuhs.edu

POSITIONS

Postdoctoral Fellows

The Elsaafien Laboratory is currently accepting post-doctoral researchers with a strong background and experience in rodents, cardiovascular physiology, surgical approaches, cellular and molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and bioinformatics. Interested candidates should review the current research directions and contact Dr. El Saafien at khalid.elsaafien@lsuhs.edu for more details.

Graduate Students

The Elsaafien Laboratory has several research projects available for graduate students. Those who are interested should review the current lab research directions and Dr. El Saafien at khalid.elsaafien@lsuhs.edu for more details.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

The Elsaafien Laboratory has a number of research projects available for undergraduate students who are interested in gaining research experience and learning new techniques. Those who are interested should contact Dr. El Saafien at khalid.elsaafien@lsuhs.edu for more detail.

Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows

The Elsaafien laboratory has a number of research projects available for any Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows. Those who are interested should contact Dr. El Saafien at khalid.elsaafien@lsuhs.edu for more detail.