Research

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Our laboratory has developed several models that mimic aspects of blood vessels in the brain. We use this model, which can be exposed to varying levels of fluid flow rate and pressures, to study how changes in blood flow affect the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Specifically, our research seeks to understand how the endothelial cells in the brain sense and respond to  "disturbed" fluid flow at the site of vascular bifurcations. We use techniques that include microparticle image velocimetry (microPIV) to characterize the fluid flow in our device and verify that it is analogous to flow in the body. We're also using these models to understand how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, affects the response of the blood-brain barrier to fluid flow.

In addition to constructing models that investigate the effect of fluid flow on blood vessel integrity and function, our lab also uses engineered vasculature in scaffolds intended to regenerate damaged tissue in the central nervous system (CNS). We are investigating the efficacy of vascularized scaffolds to reduce scarring and to promote and guide axon growth following spinal cord injury. We have also used injectable peptides to deliver other cell types, including mesenchymal stem cells, to the site of injury using magnetic alignment of the scaffold to provide guidance cues to neural cells. Our recent work involves the use of 3D-printed scaffolds to direct the infiltration of axons from the host tissue.