Dr. Sarapura joined our faculty in 1992, following a fellowship in endocrinology at this institution. Her clinical interests are pituitary and thyroid disease, particularly the disorders of prolactin secretion, pituitary tumors, and abnormal thyroid function. Her research interest are in the area of pituitary gene expression and regulation, specifically of the glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit, that is part of the hormones thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Her research primarily involves determining the transcription factors that activate the alpha-subunit gene of TSH, and how those differ from those that activate the same gene in cells that produce LH and FSH. Her other research interests are the inhibitory effect of thyroid hormone on TSH expression as well as on the growth of TSH-producing cells, and the ectopic expression of the glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit in lung cancer and other solid tumors.