My research focuses on understanding mechanisms that regulate normal and stressed hematopoietic stem and progenitor proliferation, differentiation and survival, and the role played by bone marrow niche support cells in hematopoietic stem cell function.
I am currently exploring the role of sinusoidal endothelial cells in hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and trafficking and have identified an unappreciated role for DPP IV- Neuropeptide Y axis in regulation of endothelial cell barrier permeability and hematopoietic stem cell trafficking. I am also investigating the role of Survivin in regulating mesenchymal stem cell functions and I have identified a previously unknown role for Survivin in the mesenchymal stem cell survival/proliferation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cell niche. My emerging interest is to investigate the role of stromal cell populations in regulation of hematopoiesis following stress, particularly in niche regeneration after myeloablative injury such as radiation exposure.
