Cardiovascular Mechanobiology and Nanomedicine

Neurovascular interactions in the brain, eye and peripheral nervous system

Research in the Milewicz laboratory has three components. The first component is recruiting and clinically characterizing families with multiple members with vascular disease, including thoracic aortic aneurysms, acute aortic dissections, cerebral aneurysms, and early onset ischemic strokes.

Dr. Boehm's primary research interests are in vascular biology and the genetics of vascular remodeling in human diseases.

A major focus of our research program is the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in cardiovascular homeostasis and disease. We are pursuing our studies using mouse models of Marfan syndrome (MFS), a multi-system disease caused by mutations in the ECM component and TGFβ regulator fibrillin-1, and a combination of genetic, pharmacological, ex vivo and computational approaches.

My research program studies physiological functions and pathological alterations in ion channels in arterial smooth muscle cells. A major focus is to understand mechanisms by which ion channels control arterial contractility.

Our lab is interested in the transcriptional regulation of genes that impact vascular development and maintenance. We specifically study ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes, which transiently modulate chromatin to facilitate transcriptional regulation.

The primary objective of the lab is to understand how clinical risk factors such as insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia trigger endothelial dysfunction and associated vasculopathies. Our focus for the last seven years has been to understand the involvement of protein tyrosine phosphatases in endothelial inflammation and dysfunction.

Our research integrates the study of monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells with vascular and lymphatic vessel biology. Atherosclerosis is a disease that merges these areas of research.

The goal of my research is to bridge bench to bedside to gain understanding of mechanisms responsible for athero-thrombotic and other vascular diseases, including angiogenesis. Our focus for nearly 25 years has been the vascular biology of the type B scavenger receptor CD36.

Our lab is focused on the mechanisms of injury associated with harvest, preparation, and preservation of human saphenous vein grafts. We are also interested in calcium independent smooth muscle relaxation. The laboratory has generated 3 patents and there are three therapeutics in preclinical development.

The Gerhardt lab is a joint venture between the Vascular Biology Lab (VBL) in London and the Vascular Patterning Lab (VPL) in Leuven seeking to foster new insights by establishing an interdisciplinary team that can draw inspiration from the diverse scientific environment present at the LRI and the VIB.