The lymphatic system plays an important role in how blood vessel diseases develop. It helps control immune responses, move cholesterol out of tissues, and manage inflammation.  

Our lab studies how the growth of new lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis) and swelling around blood vessels (perivascular inflammation) relate to natural anti-inflammatory signals in the body. 

We also are identifying and characterizing the proteins and pathways that regulate mRNA stability in vascular smooth muscle cells. By learning how manipulation of these proteins can help diseases like atherosclerosis and restenosis, we hope to find better ways to protect blood vessels and improve health. 

We are studying the roles of endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and regulatory T cells in the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and other forms of inflammation. We are employing cutting-edge "omics” approaches in immunometabolism and epigenetics to aid in these discoveries. These include metabolomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, chromatin long range interaction and organelle interactions.

The heart contains a complex network of lymphatic vessels that are essential for draining interstitial fluid from heart tissue and helping the immune system keep the heart healthy. Cardiac lymphatics have emerged as a potential therapeutic target for promoting cardiac function after ischemic heart disease. Research in our lab focuses on understanding the development and the function of cardiac lymphatics in cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to develop novel approaches for treating cardiovascular disease.

Learn more about our lab.

Our lab focuses on: 

• How leukocytes migrate from tissues to lymph nodes via lymphatic vessels during inflammation and immune responses. 
• The role that vascular endothelial cells play in leukocyte trafficking through the lymphatic system. 
• How the lymphatic system affects lipid transport in obesity and insulin resistance. 
• How obesity and diabetes impact the function of the lymphatic system of different adipose tissue. 

Our lab studies blood vessel conditions like restenosis (when arteries narrow again after treatment) and aortic aneurisms (dangerous bulges in the main artery from the heart). These conditions can be life-threatening, so better treatments are needed. 

We focus on a special type of cell in blood vessel walls called vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). These cells help form the structure of the vessels and react to changes in their environment. In disease, they can change their behavior, a process called phenotypic modulation. Our research aims to understand exactly how and why these changes happen, so we can learn how to stop or reverse them. 

In addition, our team published an exciting discovery in Circulation. We found a new RNA gene, which we called INKILN. It has no protein function and only works in its RNA form. The discovery of INKILN helps us better understand how blood vessel disease happens, leading to new treatments.