Research
Ongoing Projects
Thrombin activation and lung lymphatic thrombosis in lymphatic vascular function
Our recent work uncovered that LEC injury and lymphatic vessel thrombosis are early events after cigarette smoke exposure. We have found that lung lymphatic express thrombin receptors at similar levels as the blood vasculature, but their function is not defined.
Ongoing studies in the lab seek to define the role of thrombin activation in the lymphatic endothelium and lung lymphatic function.
Defining lung lymphatic endothelial cell heterogeneity and mapping the lymphatic response to injury
Using transcriptomics, proteomics, and microscopy, we are working to elucidate the lung-specific heterogeneity of the lymphatic vasculature and map the response to lung injury in lung lymphatic endothelial cells in both mouse and human lung tissue. We are interested in determining the lymphatic endothelial subsets that define lung lymphatic function, as well as the molecular mechanisms for lymphatic dysfunction that drive lung injury.
The role of the lymphatic vasculature in modulating the lung immune milieu
Lymphatic dysfunction leads to marked changes in the lung immune milieu leading to the formation of tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs). Because of this, lymphatic dysfunction has significant consequences on the response to lung injury. Ongoing work seeks to determine the role of the lymphatics in TLO formation, and the molecular pathways that define crosstalk between the lymphatic endothelium and the immune response to injury.
