Furthering Research into the Vascular System
The Center for Vascular Biology Research (CVBR) is a unique community of scientist based at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) that studies the structure and function of the cells that comprise the vasculature. Since the vasculature plays a key role in most physiological and pathological processes, the Center’s research topics are diverse and innovative, and include: the role of angiogenesis and inflammation in different types of cancer (e.g. ovary, breast, thyroid, prostate and skin), tumor microenvironment, smooth muscle cell regulation, asthma, aging, mechanical responses of the vasculature, endothelial cell barrier function, new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in preeclampsia, kidney disorders, sepsis, computational modeling, zebrafish models of inflammation and vessel differentiation, rare/orphan diseases, and discovery of new genetic biomarkers in organ transplantation. The results of research in these areas have been recently published in high impact journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Nature Cell Biology, Cell Stem Cell, Molecular Cell, Developmental Cell, Science Translational Medicine, Science Signaling, Science Reports, Circulation, Genes and Development, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), and Cancer Discovery.
Numerous seminars, data clubs and an annual retreat constitute the core of our educational mission. Many leading scientists who focus on drug discovery and translational research in the Boston area have participated in the research and translational seminar series this academic year. The CVBR faculty members also host a seminar series that is specifically designed for our summer students, including those funded by a T35 grant based in the Department of Surgery.
Mission Statement
Some of medicine's most pressing questions, ranging from diabetes and cancer to sepsis and heart disease, will require a new model of science to deliver the next generation of breakthroughs. The CVBR at BIDMC unites leading investigators across all the departments and research centers in our institution to transcend age-old barriers to progress. The Center is an incubator for creative approaches to the study of vascular biology. Its members pursue the singular goal of finding new solutions at the intersection of traditionally disparate fields. The Center deploys strategic cores to support the entire pipeline of biomedical research, from basic bench investigation to bedside application. Faculty members at the Center compete for large programmatic support, appealing to both established and emerging stakeholders. The Center trains tomorrow's leaders in life sciences and provides a unique forum for scholarly exchange with the global community. In short, the Center produces the kind of innovation that matters most to our current and future patients.
Corporate Partnership and Donations
The CVBR is highly committed to advancing health care through basic research and the development of novel therapeutics. Corporate partnership and philanthropic donations are essential parts of this mission. For further information on how we can work together, please contact Dr. Jack Lawler, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 99 Brookline Avenue, RN 270D, Boston, MA 02215.
History
The CVBR was formed in 2004 as part of a strategic plan to establish interdisciplinary centers of excellence at BIDMC. Dr. Harold Dvorak served as the founding Director of the CVBR. Dr. William C. Aird, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School known internationally for his contribution in defining concepts of 'endothelial heterogeneity', co-developed the CVBR with Dr. Dvorak, serving as its founding Associate Director. In 2008, Dr. Aird was appointed Director of the CVBR and Dr. Laura Benjamin became the Associate Director. Dr. Benjamin's research focused on the study of molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular morphogenesis and function. In 2009, Dr. Benjamin left the BIDMC to join Eli Lilly and Company. In October of 2008, the CVBR consolidated many of its investigators under one roof at Research North, 99 Brookline Avenue.
