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Research Overview
Our large elastic arteries, including the aorta, are compliant and change shape in response to changes in blood pressure. As we age, the compliance of these elastic arteries decreases, and this is an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. We know that wear and tear results in damage to the extracellular matrix of these arteries, resulting in a loss of elasticity and an increase in stiffness. Vascular smooth muscle cells are the predominant cell type of the arterial wall. These mechanosensitive cells sense this increase in stiffness and then further decrease arterial compliance. How these cells contribute to further decrease compliance and the mechanisms driving this response remain unknown. Using hydrogels to model aortic wall stiffness, our lab seeks to understand the response of these cells to increased stiffness.
My Story
I grew up in Stevenage, a small town around 30 miles north of London in the UK. I graduated from the University of Dundee with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and obtained a PhD from the University of Glasgow. My post-doctoral training gave me experience in smooth muscle cell biology and my research contributed to our understanding of the role of DNA damage in aortic ageing. I have now progressed and run my own smooth muscle cell research group at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. My lab seeks to understand the mechanisms regulating how smooth muscle cells sense and respond to changes in matrix rigidity.