My general interest lies in signal transduction and gene expression. Current research is focused on the mechanism of vascular calcification in patients with renal disease and diabetes. Using in vivo and in vitro model, the roles of phosphorus, Na/Pi cotransport and glucose in vascular smooth muscle cell calcification are characterized. In addition, the signaling pathways involved in this process are examined. The other areas of interest include mechanotransduction, cytoskeleton and gene expression in vascular cells. Techniques performed in our laboratory include cell and tissue cultures, Western blotting, Northern blotting, Southern blotting, Immunohistochemistry, Ca2+ imaging, In situ hyberidization, RT-PCR, Transfection and confocal microscopy.
