Kent L. Thornburg


Kent L. Thornburg is an American scientist, researcher and professor. He lives in Portland, Oregon and works at Oregon Health & Science University, in the School of Medicine. He is the director for both the OHSU Center for Developmental Health and the Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness.

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Thornburg uses a broad range of scientific disciplines to investigate how maternal stressors before, during and after pregnancy affect the risk for the offspring acquiring chronic diseases later in life. This field of research is known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.

Current research (2020)

Thornburg's research includes cardiac and pulmonary physiology, placentology, and developmental programming - as well as epigenetics and epidemiology. He studies the ways in which the fetus adapts to a variety of stressors during pregnancy, including psychosocial and nutritional stress.

Education

1967: Bachelor of Arts in Biology
1970 and 1972: Master of Science in Zoology and Doctorate of Philosophy in Developmental Physiology and Embryology,

Academic positions

Thornburg is the M. Lowell Edwards Endowed Chair for Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Medicine in the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at OHSU. He holds joint professorships in the Departments of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine and Obstetrics, and Gynecology.