Ischemic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality globally. The ability to restore or enhance the microvasculature would be a major advancement in regenerative medicine and cardiovascular therapies. Our lab uses a unique multidisciplinary approach to study molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular diseases, including peripheral artery disease and heart failure. We combine multiple approaches, including in vitro and animal models, and in vivo Cripsr-Cas9 screening platform coupled with the lineage tracing approach. Our lab is recently funded by an R01, Houston Methodist Cornerstone Award, and the Kostas Strategic Impact Project.

My long-term research goal is to unravel molecular mechanisms that underlie human pathologies including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. For the past over 10 years, my research has focused on physiological and pathological angiogenesis and understanding how metabolism regulates the cell fate transition coupling with epigenetics during angiogenesis. My recent studies have discovered novel endogenous cellular reprogramming mechanisms that contribute to vascular recovery. Our laboratory employs multidisciplinary methodologies to investigate the determinants governing cell fate transitions in these pathologies, and to devise novel strategies for vascular regeneration.