Tissue Repair, Fibrosis, Metabolism, and inter-organ communication
Research
We investigate how metabolic pathways, cellular interactions, and communication between organs govern tissue injury, repair, fibrosis, and disease — and leverage these discoveries to develop new therapeutics for cardiovascular and renal disorders.
01
Metabolic control of tissue repair
Metabolic pathways as regulators of disease and recovery
We investigate how NAD, adenine, and nucleotide metabolism, and related metabolic pathways regulate cellular stress responses, cardiac function, and renal injury and repair. A central goal is to identify metabolic mechanisms that can be therapeutically targeted to restore tissue homeostasis in cardiometabolic and renal disease.
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Therapeutic discovery & human disease modeling
From fundamental mechanisms to new medicines
We translate discoveries in injury, metabolism, and repair into therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular and renal diseases. Our work integrates biologic drug development and clinical investigation with human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models to understand metabolic interactions among cell types and test disease-relevant mechanisms.
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02
Inter-organ communication & regenerative biology
How one organ influences the repair of another
We investigate how organs communicate through circulating proteins and other signals to coordinate tissue responses to injury. Our work explores the kidney as an endocrine regulator of cardiac repair, and seeks to uncover new biological pathways that can be harnessed to promote recovery across organ systems.
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04
Cellular interactions, fibrosis & pathological remodeling
Why injured tissues heal — or develop chronic disease
We study how interactions between cardiac myocytes, fibroblasts, and other cell populations shape tissue remodeling after injury. In parallel, we investigate the mechanisms of pathological mineralization, including ectopic calcification in ABCC6 deficiency and calciphylaxis.
Understanding metabolism and inter-organ communication to promote tissue repair
Our laboratory investigates the fundamental mechanisms that determine how the heart, kidney, and other tissues respond to injury. We seek to understand why some tissues recover while others develop fibrosis, pathological remodeling, and progressive organ dysfunction, with the ultimate goal of translating these discoveries into new therapies for cardiovascular and renal diseases.
A central focus is the intersection of metabolism, cellular stress responses, and inter-organ communication — including the methionine salvage pathway, adenine and nucleotide metabolism, and the role of the kidney as a regulator of cardiac repair and other inter-organ mediators.
An essential component of our research is therapeutic translation. By combining mechanistic discovery with biologic drug development, experimental models of disease, and clinical investigation, we aim to develop new treatments that protect tissues from injury, promote repair, and preserve organ function. Our work includes the development and clinical evaluation of a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting ENPP1.