Vascular Surgery Research

The Vascular Biology Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Randolph L. Geary, is funded by the National Institutes of Health, industry, and institutional grants to study the cellular and molecular basis of arterial injury and restenosis following vascular reconstruction, as well as host responses to bioengineered blood vessels constructed from autologous cell sources for use in vascular access and arterial reconstructive procedures.

We are studying the injury response in atherosclerotic primates treated with periarterial hyaluronan and also the effects of genetic deletion of specific hyaluronan receptors in knockout mice and effects on the response to injury. The overarching goal is to identify molecular targets to block constrictive remodeling after arterial reconstruction as a means of preventing restenosis.

The Laboratory is also collaborating with Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine to characterize the in vivo responses of bioengineered blood vessels created using autologous endothelial and smooth muscle cell sources. The Laboratory has active collaborations with the Wake Forest University Primate Center - a large nonhuman primate research center recognized worldwide for expertise in modeling atherosclerosis and with the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine directed by Dr. Anthony Atala, a world leader in the clinical application of bioengineered tissues and organs.