Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
I am a physician-scientist with a cell biology background studying the mechanisms responsible for the initiation and propagation of pulmonary vasculopathies. My research explores how vascular endothelial cells in the lung respond to signals from the pulmonary microenvironment. Specifically, I am interested in how abnormal cellular communication affects vascular endothelial cells and how cellular miscommunication causes vascular diseases. To dissect the mechanisms in pulmonary vasculopathies, I will study the mesenchymal-endothelial crosstalk in pulmonary arterial hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis. This collection of diseases causes WHO group 1, 3 and 5 pulmonary hypertension.