Members’ Labs

Ke Yuan, PhD May 1, 2025 Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics Division of Pulmonary Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital   Primary Research: The Ke Yuan Lab is dedicated to uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Our research primarily focuses on defining the distinct roles of vascular cell…

Paul Cheng, MD, PhD March 28, 2025 Assistant Professor Cardiovascular Medicine Stanford University   Primary Research: Why did the chicken cross the road? Or better yet, why did the other chicken not cross the road? The Cheng lab is broadly interested in understanding why there is heterogeneity in the behaviors of seemingly identical vascular cells…

Osama Harraz, PhD January 1, 2025 Bloomfield Professor in Cardiovascular Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology University of Vermont   Primary Research: Research in the Harraz Lab is focused on vascular ion channels and signal transduction pathways. We use different imaging approaches (in vivo and ex vivo) and electrophysiological techniques to study vascular function in genetically…

Ziqing Liu, PhD December 2, 2024 Assistant Professor Department of Physiology Medical College of Wisconsin   Primary Research: The Liu lab aims to integrate OMICS data analysis with experimental output to better understand cardiovascular development and diseases, and to develop novel strategies for cardiovascular regeneration. The current focus of the lab is post-transcriptional regulation of…

Andrew Vaughan, PhD October 28, 2024 Associate Professor Biomedical Sciences University of Pennsylvania   Primary Research: The Vaughan lab’s research is focused on defining and understanding the relevant cell types and molecular mechanisms by which the mammalian lung is able to regenerate after severe injury. We are especially interested in elucidating the means by which…

Guizhen Zhao, PhD September 29, 2024 Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Houston   Primary Research: The Zhao lab is dedicated to uncovering the epigenetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including aortic aneurysm and dissection, and atherosclerosis, while also driving innovations in drug discovery. Currently, our research focuses on…

Dolly Mehta, PhD September 2, 2024 Professor Pharmacology & Regenerative Medicine University of Illinois Chicago   Primary Research: The main focus of our lab is to investigate cellular signaling in endothelial cells that triggers vascular injury and those that repair the damage to reinstate tissue functions. We seek to understand how stressors (such as ligands…

Laura Pillay, PhD August 1, 2024 Assistant Professor Department of Biology Western Washington University   Primary Research: The Pillay Lab uses zebrafish and cell culture systems to identify and understand molecular mechanisms that regulate blood vessel development and integrity. Our current research is focused on using modern imaging, molecular biology, and genetic approaches to investigate…

Taija Mäkinen, PhD July 1, 2024 Professor Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology Uppsala University and Wihuri Research Institute/University of Helsinki   Primary Research: Our research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms that govern the development, maintenance, and regeneration of a functional lymphatic vasculature. We also investigate the involvement of lymphatic vessels in organ-specific physiology and…