Rong Wang, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, Director, Laboratory for Accelerated Vascular Research, UCSF

MOLECULAR PROGRAMMING OF THE VASCULATURE IN DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE

Proper formation and function of the vasculature are crucial for health and survival, as the vasculature supplies all cells in the body. A dysfunctional vasculature causes myriad diseases, including stroke, arterial occlusive diseases, and vascular anomalies. Our long-term goal is to identify novel drug targets and inform rational therapeutic designs to treat vascular diseases. Our strategy is to understand genes crucial for angiogenesis (new vessel formation) in the normal and diseased states, concentrating on the Notch, ephrin-B2, and TGF- pathways. We employ cutting-edge mouse genetics to delete or express genes in a cell lineage-specific and temporally controllable fashion in vascular cells. We combine these molecular approaches with mouse models of diseases as well as live 5D two-photon imaging (3D + blood flow over time) to uncover both the molecular mechanisms and hemodynamic signals in development and disease progression. These preclinical animal studies are coupled with patient sample validations. Our lab members come from diverse fields, including biology, bioengineering, and medicine, creating a collaborative and exciting environment. We strive to advance multiple projects across disciplines.