Growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is an important process both in the healthy individual and in disease. Angiogenesis has become a hot area of research for cancer biologists as data suggest that blocking new blood vessel growth can slow tumor growth by cutting off the supply of oxygen and nutrients.

We have identified several genes involved in regulating the multiple steps of angiogenesis and are developing reagents to specifically interfere with these processes.

We have developed multi-cellular 3D tissues that are supported by perfused human vasculature. These tissues have been arrrayed to allow for high-throughput drug screening (HTS). We are developing several tissue-specific microphysiological systems (MPS), all supported by perfused vasculature. These inlcude brain, liver, pancreas (islets) and multiple tumor types. We are also developing modesl for HHT and Port Wine Birthmark (PWB/PWS) and Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS).