Honored to be selected as a finalist for the Irvine H. Page Junior Faculty Research Award by the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology of the American Heart Association.
Grateful to my team & collaborators! #ATVB #AHA #VascularDiscovery26!
CXCR3 as a flow-sensitive modulator of developmental #Angiogenesis in #Zebrafish 🐟
CXCR3i (AMG487), CXCR3a (VUF11222), cxcr3 triple KO🐟▶️
⏫cranial vascularity
⏬pericyte investment (CXCR3▶️⏫pdgfb)
@astratman.bsky.social #ATVB 2024
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Transcript signature of lineage-specific mouse proximal thoracic aortic #SmoothMuscleCell
Wnt1-Cre cardiac neural crest (inner media)-derived SMC
vs
Mef2c-Cre second heart field (outer media)-derived SMC
#AortaEd
David Dichek lab #ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Cell type-specific responses to #Dapagliflozin in Diabetic arterial wall of db/db🐭
Take a look at this powerful multimodal single-cell dataset
scRNA-seq scATAC-seq Xenium (479 genes) #SpatialTranscriptomics
n=8🐭/group
Rama Natarajan lab #ATVB 2026
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
#VascularCalcification
Resorbed or not?
When s.c. implanted in B6🐭, Calcium in Hydroxyapatite powder⏬
resorbed by TRAP-neg Multinucleated giant cells
In comparison
1⃣Calcified 👤tibial arteries 2⃣Pulverized🦴particles are resistant to calcium resorption
#ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
YAP confers a stress-adaptive phenotype of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell
scRNA-seq scATAC-seq from 🐭+AngII+HFD
SMC Yap1 KO🐭
👉Baseline
⏬Ascending aortic contractility
+AngII
⏫diameter & dissection of all aortic segments
#ATVB 2023
www.ahajournals.org/doi/suppl/10...
Landmark revisit
Smooth Muscle Cells Derived From Second Heart Field and Cardiac Neural Crest Reside in Spatially Distinct Domains in the Media of the Ascending Aorta
A laminated boundary formation issue of Aorta😎
@alandaugherty.bsky.social #ATVB 2017
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Sex-resolved Plasma & Tissue Proteomics of 👤Calcified Aortic Valve Stenosis
Tissue
♂️Fibrotic➡️Nucleotide & Cholesterol metab
♂️Calcified➡️Acute Inflamm, γ carboxyl
♀️Fibrotic➡️Platelet-Collagen Ad
♀️Calcified➡️Spectrin cytosk
@markcblaser.bsky.social #ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Endothelial Cell Competition in #VenousMalformation
Hyper-proliferative Tie2-L914F mutant ECs secret Semaphorin 3A & 3F to repel wild-type counterparts
Evidence from
1⃣mixed EC xenograft🐭
2⃣mixed ECs in 3D fibrin #Lumenogenesis
@boscololab.bsky.social #ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
#ATVB Session @ #AHA25
Cardiovascular Health in Women: Unique Vulnerabilities in Women and Implications for Therapeutics
Sunday 11/9 @ 9:45–11am
Room 211-213
Add to your schedule: https://ahajrnls.org/4904ilb
#SmoothMuscleCell Epitranscriptomics
METTL3-YTHDC1 (m6A reader) ⏫SGK1 mRNA synthesis (but not stability)
135 METTL3 target genes by RNAseq+MeRIPseq in rat SMC
SMC Mettl3 KO🐭➡️
⏬carotid #IntimalHyperplasia➡️
⏫by AAV9-SM22a-SGK1
#ATVB 2025 @ahascience.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
#SmoothMuscleCell m6A Epitranscriptomics
METTL3-YTHDF3 ⏫Profilin-1 mRNA translation➡️
⏫SMC proliferation migration
⏬SMC contractile phenotype
METTL3 YTHDF3 PFN1 ⬆️in SMC+PDGFBB & injured carotid artery
SMC Mettl3 or Pfn1 KO🐭➡️
⏬carotid Neointima
#ATVB 2024
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
New in #ATVB: how imaging links socioenvironmental exp to CVD.
📈 Evidence ties socioenv. to CVD
🧠🫀 Multimodality imaging (PET/CT/MRI/US) uncovers mechanisms.
🏛️💊 can inform smarter policy & targeted therapies
Full text: doi.org/10.1161/ATVB...
#CardioSky #HealthEquity #Exposome #Imaging #Prevention
#SmoothMuscleCell m6A Epitranscriptomics
METTL3⏫in👤stenotic #ArterioVenousFistula
SMC Mettl3 KO🐭
⏬AVF Intima
Mettl3-YTHDF1 stabilizes SLC7A11 mRNA➡️
⏬SMC contractile phenotype
⏫SMC proliferation/migration
⏬Lipid peroxidation
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10....
Excited to have this work from Casey Clift & myself out in #ATVB!
We leverage mass spectrometry proteomics of human plasma & aortic valve tissues to assess potential drivers of sexual dimorphism in #AS aortic valve stenosis.
Mini-explainer thread below!
www.ahajournals.org/eprint/MF7VI...
My Continued Biomedical Education
#Hypertension
Biological Sex & Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Systemic Arterial Hypertension
Estrogen
ERα/β GPER
RAAS
X-linked epigenetics
HDAC6/8
KDM6A
miR-221/222/106/505 etc
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
#VascularCalcification
#SmoothMuscleCell NAMPT-SIRT1 axis, via suppressing Notch-HES1 signaling, protects against aortic medial calcification in 🐭VitD3 or CKD
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Deep subclustering of #SmoothMuscleCell in👤🐭 #Atherosclerosis
Human: scRNAseq n=21 + CITEseq 274 antibodies n=6
Universal surface markers of👤SMC
CD49a/ITGA1 CD146/MCAM CD29/ITGB1 EGFR
CD90/Thy1⬆️ CD142/F3⬇️ in modulated SMC
#ATVB 2024 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
📑 New article published by @americanheart.bsky.social
journal #ATVB, "Heparanase 2 Modulates #Vascular Permeability via Heparan Sulfate–Dependent Growth Factor Signaling" with Yannic Becker, Ahmad Alwakaa, Heiko Schenk & Hermann Haller.
#ResearchPublishing 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸
doi.org/10.1161/atvb...
Plasma N-Glycan Signatures Are Associated With a First Event of Venous Thromboembolism #ATVB #MassSpec www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Tie2+ #EndothelialCell- or Col1A2+ fibroblast-derived C-type Natriuretic Peptide protects against #AorticAneurysm in Apoe-/- mice + AngII + AAV-PCSK9 + #WesternDiet
#SmoothMuscleCell & Mφ are responsive to exogenous CNP
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
CRISPR activation of CARMN/miR-143/-145 or miR-143/-145 in #SmoothMuscleCell
Will this be a viable pro-contractile avenue for #Aortopathy?😁 @jiliang-zhou.bsky.social
ChopChop & Broad CRISPick for sgRNA design
Andrew Baker lab #ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
#EndothelialCell Metabolism #PulmonaryArterialHypertension
FABP4/5 KO⏬PAH & normalizes EC population shift (⏫Arterial EC ⏬Aerocyte Ven EC) in Tie2+ PHD2 KO🐭
Lenti-FABP4/5 ⏫Glycolysis & FAO in hPAEC
@zhiyudai.bsky.social #ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10....
C-Type Natriuretic Peptide: Protecting the Aorta.
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
@ahajournals.bsky.social
#CardioSky #MedSky #ATVB
Extremely happy that our work got accepted in #ATVB! We functionally profiled 400 biobank samples, linking cellular lipid uptake, storage and handling to treatment outcomes of statin therapy and residual cardiovascular risk.
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
scRNAseq of🐭collecting lymphatic vessels😎
Cell type-specific #LymphaticEndothelialCell vs peri-lymphatic myeloid cell contributions of TRPV4 in distinct stages of lymphatic contractile activity
@maryschulz.bsky.social
@jcastorena.bsky.social
#ATVB 2025
www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10....
#PCSK9 #AbdominalAorticAneurysm
Global PCSK9 KO does Not modify serum lipids in ApoE SA/SA🐭+#WesternDiet!😨
But
⏫survival
⏬AAA
↔️aortic #SmoothMuscleCell content
⏬Mφ infiltr & inflammatory cytokines & MMP9
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Non-hepatic PCSK9
Direct Impact of PCSK9 on #SmoothMuscleCell
Beyond #Senescence #Apoptosis
#Autophagy #Inflammasome #Pyroptosis
What're the upstream signals that regulate PCSK9 expression in vascular tissues?🧐
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10....
#Colchicine rescues #SmoothMuscleCell contractile phenotype & BAPN-induced🐭#AorticDissection
Colchicine restores PDGFBB-downregulated Myocardin but not upregulated KLF4 in primary rat aortic SMC
Role of Microtubule?😁
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
Heart #Lymphangiogenesis
LYVE1+ #LymphaticEndothelialCell KO🐭 of ACKR3, a decoy receptor for Adrenomedullin
post-Infarction
⏫survival
⏬Myocardial Edema
⏫peri-infarct #Lymphangiogenesis
siACKR3 #Hypoxia▶️
⏫LEC VE-cad junction
#ATVB 2025 @ahajournals.bsky.social
www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/...
