RESEARCH FIELD

Vascular Biology

Vascular biology investigates the biology of blood and lymphatic vessels — the network that supplies oxygen and nutrients to every tissue, removes metabolic waste, delivers immune cells to sites of infection, and regulates blood pressure and haemostasis. The endothelium — the single cell layer lining all vessels — is an active paracrine organ that senses haemodynamic forces, controls vascular permeability, regulates leukocyte trafficking, and maintains anti-thrombotic tone. Research encompasses angiogenesis, arteriogenesis, tumour vascularisation, atherosclerosis and plaque formation in arterial walls, arterial stiffening in ageing and hypertension, thrombosis and haemostasis, and the lymphatic vascular system governing fluid balance and immune cell trafficking. Single-cell RNA sequencing has revealed remarkable endothelial heterogeneity between organs and vessel types. Zebrafish with fluorescently labelled blood vessels permit live imaging of vascular morphogenesis. Organ-on-chip vascular models recapitulate haemodynamic conditions for drug testing. Vascular biology is funded by cardiovascular disease foundations, NIH NHLBI, and pharmaceutical companies developing anti-angiogenic, anti-thrombotic, and anti-atherosclerotic drugs.