Growing Up: Development over a Lifetime

How does a single fertilized egg become a fully formed human? In our research, we explore how embryos develop and grow organs that keep us alive. The heart is one of the first organs to form, crucial for circulating blood in the growing and adult body. But studying human heart development isn’t easy—so we turn to an unexpected ally: the chicken embryo! Surprisingly, despite their obvious differences, early chicken and human embryos share striking similarities, not just in appearance but also in their molecular blueprints. Join me to uncover what chickens can teach us about our own development!

What if we could slow down vascular aging? As we get older, the aorta—the body's largest blood vessel —loses its flexibility, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Our research explores this process at the genetic level, using single-cell techniques to reveal how our vascular smooth muscle cells change with age. By identifying the gene changes that occur in aging and disease, we can uncover targets for new treatments. Join us to discover how cutting-edge science is shaping the future of cardiovascular health.

As the world’s population is aging, understanding age-related diseases such as dementia is paramount. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia accounting for 62% of all dementia cases. Out of those, about 65% are women. My research is trying to understand why more women develop Alzheimer’s Disease as men are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. My key area of interest is the menopausal transition and how the change in hormones contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s Disease as women who develop menopause at an earlier age are more likely to develop dementia.