Areas of focus

Normal vascular physiology --
the study of the internal workings and function of the body’s system of blood vessels (arteries and veins).

Pathology of vascular injury --
the study of the nature, origin, progress, and cause of injury to the blood vessels.

Vascular adaptation to biochemical and biomechanical stress --
how the body’s system of blood vessels adapts to environmental changes, such as hypoxia, hyperlipodemia, hypertension, etc.

Stem cells for vascular therapy and regeneration --
Stem cells are cells found in most, if not all, multi-cellular organisms. They are characterized by their ability to renew themselves through cell division or their ability to develop and change into a diverse range of specialized cell types.  We are exploring the possibilities of using stem cells to repair or regenerate a damaged or diseased vascular system.

Vascular tissue engineering and regeneration --
combination of cells, materials, and engineering techniques to improve or replace damaged or diseased blood vessels

Computational modeling of the vascular biomechanical milieu --
Computational modeling studies the behavior of a complex system by using a mathematical model designed on a computer.  By changing the parameters of the system being studied, it is possible to simulate different situations and, therefore, different outcomes.

Gender-specific biology --
studying the gender related determinants of vascular disease or ability to self-repair damaged blood vessels

Epidemiology of vascular disease --
the study of factors (internal and external) affecting the health of the body’s vascular system

Biomechanical characterization of normal and diseased vascular tissue --
identifying, describing and classifying the mechanical behavior and properties of normal and diseased blood vessels

Vascular pharmacology --
how drugs interact within the vascular system to affect function or treat disease

Vascular device development and testing --
the development and testing of vascular-based devices

Molecular pathobiology of vascular disease --
the nature, origin and cause of vascular disease at the molecular level

Vascular pathophysiology in diabetes --
the makeup and functioning of the vascular system where diabetes mellitus, and thus a hyperglycemic condition (high blood sugar), is present.

 

Partners

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering

UPMC Cardiovascular Institute

Magee-Womens Research Institute

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health