The lymphatic system comprises the primary mechanism for the return of interstitial fluid from the tissues back to the central veins. The lymphatic networks also serve as the major trafficking system for immune cells, the primary mechanism by which dietary lipids are absorbed, and the primary route for dissemination of cancer metastases. Deficiency of the lymphatic system can result in abnormal accumulation of fluid, causing lymphedema. Lymphedema can be associated with genetic malformations of the lymphatic vasculature, increased permeability through the lymphatic wall, impaired contractility of lymphatic vessels, and/or incompetent lymphatic intraluminal valves among other. At present, there are no established cures or treatments for lymphatic diseases, including lymphedema. In the U.S., breast cancer-related lymphedema patients make up the largest group of patients afflicted with this disease and obesity is a known risk factor. Our current research aims to contribute to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms leading to lymphatic system dysfunction and the development of novel therapies for secondary lymphedema patients. Our lab utilizes a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques including: simultaneous multi-channel confocal microscopy to study intracellular calcium events in the lymphatic vessel wall, pressure myography on isolated lymphatic vessels from animal models and humans, in vivo models of lymphatic dysfunction, including secondary lymphedema associated with injury, primary cell cultures of lymphatic endothelial and muscle cells, and electron microscopy among others. We also devote significant efforts towards developing novel techniques in physiology and software tools for the automated processing and analysis of data and images.
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Browse the latest scientific discoveries and advances from our lab.
Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2026-10-03
Regulation of Collecting Lymphatic Vessel Contractile Function by TRPV4 Channels.
Read publicationFrontiers in pharmacology · 2026-10-03
Lymphatic Valve Dysfunction in Western Diet-Fed Mice: New Insights Into Obesity-Induced Lymphedema.
Read publicationbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026-10-03
Cholesterol-Mediated Modulation of Collecting Lymphatic Vessel Contractility: Exploring Cholesterol Depletion as a Therapeutic Alternative to Improve Lymphatic Function in Hypercholesterolemia.
Read publicationMicrocirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994) · 2026-06-02
GLP-1 Receptors Are Enriched in the Lymphatic Endothelium and Their Pharmacological Activation With Semaglutide Improves the Pumping Capacity of Lymphatic Vessels.
Read publicationBrowse the latest scientific discoveries and advances from our lab.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) · $1,951,785
Mechanisms of Cholesterol Induced Lymphatic Dysfunction: Can GLP-1R Agonism Improve Lymphatic Function in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome?
Lymphatic system diseases, including secondary lymphedema, continue to affect hundreds of millions worldwide while pharmacological therapies remain unavailable. Cancer survivors are most susceptible to developing secondary lymphedema and the risk is significantly increased by obesity and metabolic syndrome. This application aims to 1) understand how obesity and hypercholesterolemia lead to severe dysfunction of the lymphatic system, and 2) determine the therapeutic potential of targeting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) to treat, prevent, or decrease the risk of developing obesity-induced lymphatic dysfunction using existing GLP-1R therapies.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) · $2,406,330
Trpv4 regulation of lymphatic vascular function: Implications in metabolic syndrome
Understanding how the lymphatic system contributes to inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases remains significantly unexplored; however, recent evidence underscores important emerging roles of the lymphatic system in obesity and metabolic syndrome. This application will 1) identify the specific contribution of dysfunction of the lymphatic vasculature to metabolic dysfunction in diet-induced obesity; and 2) will test and propose novel therapeutic strategies targeting overactive Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (Trpv4) ion channels and the Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), an important biomarker for disease.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) · $99,652
Unraveling the mechanisms behind lymphatic dysfunction in obesity: are weight-loss drugs effective at restoring lymphatic function?
Clinical studies have demonstrated that obesity increases the risk of developing lymphedema; however, the molecular mechanisms behind obesity-driven lymphatic dysfunction remain poorly understood, leading to a lack of treatment options. This proposal will 1) identify and characterize transcriptomic and functional alterations in lymphatic vessels from diet-induced obese ApoE KO mice and 2) assess the effects of GLP-1R agonists (i.e. Semaglutide) on the function of lymphatic vessels and determine the therapeutic potential of GLP-1R weight- loss drugs to improve lymphatic function in diet-induced obese ApoE KO mice.
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