Our Mission
Our mission is to understand mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis and progression of disease and devise treatments that restore mitochondrial function through nanotechnology-inspired strategies and cellular engineering
Our Research
Our laboratory focuses on finding effective approaches for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The understanding that certain molecular-level abnormalities and pathophysiological features are shared among diseases such as cancer, heart failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension, to name a few, has enabled us to translate our nanotechnology-based strategies across a wide spectrum of diseases. Examples include: 1) enhanced vascular permeability at disease sites; and 2) metabolic dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, working in close collaboration with clinicians at the Houston Methodist Hospital allows us to identify a series of unmet clinical needs that can potentially benefit from nano-inspired approaches. Examples include: 1) the need for site-specific, sustained drug/gene delivery to the myocardium; and 2) the need for increased navigational accuracy and reduced toxicity during catheterization procedures.