Research

COVID

We are working closely with our collaborator, Dr. Jason Knight to leverage our strengths in inflammation and thrombosis, two processes at the heart of severe COVID-19 illness to understand this disease, and develop potential new treatments.

1. Biomarker - We discovered a blood neutrophil inflammation signature in the blood of patients with COVID-19 infection that can be targeted for treatment of this dangerous disease.

2. Antibodies that cause clots - We discovered that antibodies triggered by COVID-19 can cause clots...yet another way COVID is damaging.

3. COVID DICER Clinical Trial - We started a randomized, clinical trial to test whether dipyridamole can reduce the severity of COVID.

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

Our laboratory studies disease mechanisms in venous thrombosis with a major area of focus on regulation of venous homeostasis. We are exploring endogenous vasculo-protective enzymes that function at the intersection of inflammation and coagulation. We are also interested in disease pathways that are triggered by abnormal innate immune activation and cell stress responses that lead to an imbalance in coagulation and fibrinolysis. Our work utilizes human vascular cells and tissues from patients with vascular disease, primary cultures endothelial cells, and mouse models of venous thrombosis.

VEIN GRAFT DISEASE

Veins are the most commonly used conduit to surgically bypass arterial stenoses. Veins are structurally distinct from arteries, and are forced to adapt to the arterial environment when used as arterial bypass grafts. Unfortunately, this remodeling can be pathologic and a high proportion of vein bypass grafts will fail, leading to ischemia or additional procedures. We are specifically studying the effect of extracellular nucleotide signalling in vein graft maladaptation. Using state-of-the-art mechanical stretch models that mimic vein graft function and mouse models of vein graft disease, our investigative efforts have focused on venous adaptations to arterial environments.

Funding sources


National Institutes of Health

National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute

K08 HL131993-01 (September 2016)

R01 R01HL150392-01 (March 2020)

Falk Catalyst Award



Lasker Investigator, NHLBI (start June, 2020)



American Venous Forum -JOBST AWARD



Bo Schembechler Heart of A Champion Foundation



McKay Foundation



AC Forum - Ansell Fellowship Program


University of Michigan BioInterfaces Institute



University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center