How do vascular cells sense and respond to blood flow? An integrative approach to study mechanotransduction in cardiovascular disease

Forces are important in the cardiovascular system, acting as regulators of vascular physiology and pathology. Residing at the blood-vessel interface, endothelial cells are constantly exposed to mechanical forces due to the flowing blood. One of these forces is the frictional force of shear stress that can differ depending on vessel geometry and type. These patterns can range from uniform laminar flow to non-uniform disturbed flow. Although endothelial cells can sense and respond differently to different types of flow, the mechanisms that underlie endothelial mechanosensing remain a mystery. Our laboratory has pioneered the studies of endothelial mechanosensing and has championed the use of a multi-disciplinary approach to this scientific problem.

The focus of the proposed studentship is to identify mechanisms by which endothelial cells sense and respond to shear stress. We will focus on identifying pathways that have been shown to be linked to cardiovascular disease and, depending on the interests of the candidate, can adopt a more basic or translational focus.