Joseph C. Dunbar Ph.D. (ad4730)
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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access
Joseph Dunbar, Ph.D., is the chair of the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology.
Dr. Dunbar, a graduate of the WSU School of Medicine, is a professor of Physiology and previous chair of the department. He has also previously been an associate vice president for Research and assistant dean of the Graduate School.
The Charles Gershenson Distinguished Faculty member received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Alcorn College and a master’s degree in zoology from Texas Southern University before earning his doctorate in Physiology and Pharmacology at Wayne State University. He completed postdoctoral training at Sinai Hospital in Detroit as a diabetes trainee.
Dr. Dunbar rejoined WSU as assistant professor in the Department of Physiology. He was appointed professor in 1985, and then chaired the department from 1997 to 2007.
Dr. Dunbar’s research interest involves endocrine mechanisms associated with diabetes mellitus and its complications. He served on the advisory board for the American Physiological Society, was a member of many National Institutes of Health review boards and committees, and has served on the boards of many peer-reviewed national journals, including the American Journal of Physiology.
He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed research articles, seven book chapters and more than 200 abstracts. His research has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and other state and national agencies. In addition to his research support, he has been program director for three student-based NIH training grants and a current training grant, the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development, which has been continuously supported since 1978. Dr. Dunbar is the past director of the NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate, and the McNair Program. He trained 18 doctoral students and a number of master’s students.
Dr. Dunbar received the WSU School of Medicine Lawrence M. Weiner Award in 1996. The award is presented annually to honor exceptional performance in teaching, research and/or administrative duties. He also has received a number of teaching awards and the Wayne State University Mentoring Award.
Physiology
4245 Scott Hall
Professor and William T. Traitel Endowed Chair of Physiology
Director of Special Programs; Director of Medical Student Research & Innovation
Interim Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (School of Medicine)
When my lab was involved in research, we were interested in the endocrine mechanisms associated with diabetes mellitus and its complications. Diabetes or insulin insufficiency is characterized by changes in nutrient metabolism as well as chronic alterations in multiple physiological systems. Cardiovascular changes and hypertension are characteristic of diabetes and are the basis for the major complications of diabetes such as increased risk of heart attack, vascular dysfunction, and stroke. Since obesity is strongly associated with diabetes we also investigated the role of insulin and adipose tissue hormones in the central nervous system (CNS)-mediated regulation of cardiovascular responses. We investigated the hypothalamic factors mediating the leptin signaling cascade pathway. We have evaluated the interaction of the proopiomelanocortin system (POMC) and its major products aMSH and beta-endorphin and their receptors in this process. We conducted studies on the mechanism of action of insulin and leptin in the regulation of blood flow dynamics. We also conducted studies to evaluate the peripheral actions of these hormones contrasted to their actions mediated at the level of the central nervous system (CNS). It was our working hypothesis that many of the chronic pathologies associated with diabetes are mediated by alterations in the central nervous regulatory mechanisms that lead to the diabetic complications. We have demonstrated that insulin and leptin-mediated hormones can affect cardiovascular dynamics at the CNS level, and that these regulatory responses are altered in diabetes. We also had studies on the influence of diabetes on CNS neuronal apoptosis and the response to ischemia. We observed that diabetes is associated with a basal increase in apoptosis and this process is made worse by ischemia. We investigated the role of insulin and IGF-1 in this process and studied the mechanisms involved in this process.
Dr. Dunbar is not accepting any students.
A complete list of Dr. Dunbar's publications can be found at PubMed-Dunbar
- 1970-72 Post-Doctoral Diabetes Trainee, Sinai Hospital of Detroit
- 1972-81 Research Associate, Sinai Hospital of Detroit
- Neural and cardiovascular changes induced by diabetes
School of Medicine
5374 Scott Hall
540 E. Canfield
Detroit, MI 48201
Jenae’ Conley | 313-577-1520
Charlyce Jackson | 313-577-6744
Joseph Dunbar, Ph.D., is interim vice dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the chair of the Department of Physiology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Dr. Dunbar, a graduate of the WSU School of Medicine, is a professor of Physiology and previous chair of the department. He has also previously been an associate vice president for Research and assistant dean of the Graduate School.
The Charles Gershenson Distinguished Faculty member received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Alcorn College and a master’s degree in zoology from Texas Southern University before earning his doctorate in Physiology and Pharmacology at Wayne State University. He completed postdoctoral training at Sinai Hospital in Detroit as a diabetes trainee.
Dr. Dunbar rejoined WSU as assistant professor in the Department of Physiology. He was appointed professor in 1985, and then chaired the department from 1997 to 2007.
Dr. Dunbar’s research interest involves endocrine mechanisms associated with diabetes mellitus and its complications. He served on the advisory board for the American Physiological Society, was a member of many National Institutes of Health review boards and committees, and has served on the boards of many peer-reviewed national journals, including the American Journal of Physiology.
He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed research articles, seven book chapters and more than 200 abstracts. His research has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and other state and national agencies. In addition to his research support, he has been program director for three student-based NIH training grants and a current training grant, the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development, which has been continuously supported since 1978. Dr. Dunbar is the past director of the NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate, and the McNair Program. He trained 18 doctoral students and a number of master’s students.
Dr. Dunbar received the WSU School of Medicine Lawrence M. Weiner Award in 1996. The award is presented annually to honor exceptional performance in teaching, research and/or administrative duties. He also has received a number of teaching awards and the Wayne State University Mentoring Award.
