Primary Research:

My research program investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern blood vessel formation, remodeling, and stability during development and disease. We focus particularly on how endothelial cells establish polarity, adhesion, and lumens; respond to blood flow and biomechanical signals; and acquire tissue-specific identities within specialized vascular beds. Our work has defined key roles for Rasip1, Rho-family GTPases, and Hippo pathway components in vascular tubulogenesis and vessel maintenance, while revealing how disruption of these pathways contributes to endothelial dysfunction and vascular regression. In parallel, we study the reciprocal signaling between blood vessels and developing tissues, examining how endothelial cells instruct organogenesis and how organ-specific environments pattern the vasculature in the pancreas, kidney, lung, and other tissues. Together, this work views the vasculature not simply as a conduit for blood, but as a dynamic and instructive system that shapes organ development, function, and regenerative capacity.

Laboratory web site URL:

https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/cleaver-lab

Collaborative Relationships:

George E. Davis, M.D., Ph.D. — Professor, University of South Florida. We collaborated on endothelial tubulogenesis, particularly using human endothelial-cell models to define the cellular and signaling mechanisms that drive vascular lumen formation and capillary network assembly. Neil A. Hukriede, Ph.D. — Professor and Director of the Center for Integrative Organ Systems, University of Pittsburgh. We have collaborated at the intersection of kidney development, vascularization, and regeneration, combining complementary mammalian, zebrafish, and organ-system approaches. Thomas J. Carroll, Ph.D. — Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center. Our longstanding collaboration has examined how renal epithelial, stromal, and vascular compartments are coordinated during kidney development, including the origins, patterning, and heterogeneity of the renal vasculature. Victoria L. Bautch, Ph.D. — Beverly Long Chapin Distinguished Professor and Co-Director of the McAllister Heart Institute, UNC–Chapel Hill. We have collaborated on vascular-development initiatives and scholarship addressing the fundamental cellular mechanisms that govern blood-vessel formation, patterning, and organization. M. Luisa Iruela-Arispe, Ph.D. — Chair of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northwestern University. We collaborated on defining endothelial heterogeneity and developmental trajectories within the kidney vasculature, including single-cell and lineage-based characterization of specialized renal endothelial populations. Karen K. Hirschi, Ph.D. — Professor of Cell Biology, University of Virginia. We collaborated on endothelial lineage, proliferation, and heterogeneity during renal vascular development, contributing vascular-developmental tools and expertise to the kidney endothelial atlas.

Recent Presentations:

• Society for Developmental biology (SDB). Invited speaker. Atlanta. 07/15/24
• Joint UTSW-Peking University Symposium. Invited speaker. Beijing, P.R. of China. 8/28/24
• 7th International Conference on Developmental Biology. Invited speaker. ZhengZhou, P.R. of
China 8/31/24
• Jiao Tong University Medical Center. Invited speaker. Shanghai, P.R. of China 9/3/24
• Angioscience VWBF conference. Kloster Seeon, Germany. 09/23/24
• Vanderbilt University. Invited speaker. Nashville, TN. 11/19/24
• Colorado University, Anschutz. Invited speaker. Denver, CO. 12/4/24
• Keynote lecture for the UCSF Cellular Basis of Cardiovascular Disease Retreat. Santa Cruz.
3/16/25
• RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics. Invited Speaker. Japan. 04/17/25
• Hunter Meeting 2025. Invited speaker. Australia. 06/03/25
• Embryology course (MBL). Invited speaker. Woods Hole. 07/02/25
• Vascular Biology Gordon GRS Kenote invited speaker. Newry ME. 07/12/25
• Angiogenesis Gordon GRC invited speaker. Newport RI. 07/30/25
• aECM Club, virtual. Invited speaker. 02/10/26
• Seminar. Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston. Invited
speaker. Houston TX. 4/8/26.
• Fondation Leducq. ReVAMP consortium. Vienna, Austria. 5/4/26
• CRC1366 Vascular Control of Organ Function. Mannheim, Germany. 5/7/26.
• ReBilD course lecture. Invited speaker. MDIBL. Bar Harbor, ME. 7/12/26
• Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting. Santa Cruz, CA. 8/25/2026
• IVMB. Adelaide, Australia. 09/9/2026
• Fondation Leducq. ReVAMP consortium. Naples, Italy. 9/24/26

Laboratory Motto:

"Believe"