Research Interests:
Pulmonary vascular disease, endothelial function, congenital heart disease, pulmonary venous stenosis.
Summary:
Pulmonary vascular endothelial function under conditions of abnormal pulmonary blood flow, secondary to congenital cardiac defects.
A significant number of infants and children born with heart defects are also at risk for developing problems with the blood vessels of the lung (pulmonary vascular disease). Our research is focused on exploring the mechanisms that link the abnormal blood flow patterns that accompany many of these common heart defects with the development of pulmonary vascular disease. In order to study these mechanisms our laboratory uses animal models of various cardiac defects that allow an integrated approach for studying the accompanying physiologic, biochemical, molecular, and cellular derangements. Our hope is that by elucidating the controlling mechanisms, new therapies and treatment strategies can be devised that will improve the outcome for these children.