Berne Lecture – Luisa Iruela-Arispe, PhD
November 7 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Understanding Vascular Growth Kinetics
At the structural level, the vascular system is a network of interconnected tubes responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. While accurate, this portrayal understates the complexities inherent to its functionality. Beyond mere transportation, the vascular system exhibits remarkable molecular heterogeneity, physiological plasticity, selective regulation of cellular trafficking, control of coagulation, and intricate mechanisms to sense and adapt to systemic demands. Given this impressive array of functions, what happens when/if the endothelium is damaged? Either locally or systemically? What is the ability of endothelial cells to repair and regenerate? Do endothelial cells undergo physiological renewal like most organs? These questions inspired our research and guided efforts to characterize and mechanistically test the cellular and molecular processes associated with proliferation and resilience of endothelial cells in large arterial vessels.
Stephen Walter Ranson Professor and Chair Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern, Chicago IL