Vascular Biology Research

Furthering Research into the Vascular System

The Center for Vascular and Biomedical Research (CVBR) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is a unique multidisciplinary community of scientists and physician-scientists dedicated to the study of the structure and function of the cells that comprise the vasculature.

Because the vasculature is central to nearly all physiological and pathological processes, the Center's research portfolio is broad and innovative. Areas of investigations include:

• Cancer biology: angiogenesis, inflammation, and the tumor microenvironment in ovarian, breast, thyroid, prostate, pancreas, liver, and skin cancers. 
• Vascular biology: pericytes, smooth muscle cell regulation, endothelial barrier function, atherosclerosis, obstructive vascular diseases, vascular mechanics, and aging.
• Immunology and inflammation: immune microenvironment, asthma, sepsis, and preeclampsia.
• Metabolic and systemic diseases: vascular and ocular complications of diabetes, kidney disorders, thyroid cancer metabolism.
• Regenerative medicine: biomaterials, genetically modified vascular conduits, and vascularized allografts/xenografts to improve revascularization outcomes.
• Translational and computational approaches: models of inflammation and vessel differentiation, computational modeling, discovery of novel biomarkers in transplantation, and rare/orphan vascular diseases.
• Therapeutics: early discovery and pre-clinical validations to overcome drug resistance

Together, these diverse research efforts drive new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies aimed at improving vascular health and patient outcomes.

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 Research, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, Genes and Development, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), and Cancer Discovery.

Numerous seminars, including the “Harold Dvorak” Lecture Series constitute the core of our educational mission. Many leading scientists who focus on drug discovery and translational research in the Boston area and across the world have participated in the research and translational seminar series. The CVBR faculty members also host a seminar series that is specifically designed for our summer students, including those funded by a T35 training grant in Vascular Surgery based in the Department of Surgery, and led by one of the CVBR investigators.

Mission Statement

Some of medicine's most pressing questions, ranging from diabetes, metabolism and cancer to sepsis and heart disease, requires a new model of science to deliver the next generation of breakthroughs. The CVBR at BIDMC unites leading investigators from across all the departments and research centers in our institution to transcend traditional barriers and accelerate discovery. The Center is an incubator for creative approaches to the study of vascular and biomedical research. It unites diverse expertise around the common goal of developing transformative 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, provides a unique forum for scholarly exchange with the global community, and delivers innovations that matter for our current and future patients.

Corporate Partnership and Donations

The CVBR is highly committed to advancing health care through basic and translational research, the development of novel therapeutics and cutting-edge models of RNA biology. Corporate partnership and philanthropic donations are essential parts of this mission. For further information on how we can work together, please contact Dr. Christiane Ferran, Dr. Martin Pollak or Dr. Carmelo Nucera, 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 from 2008 to 2009. Dr. Benjamin's research focused on the study of molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular morphogenesis and function. In October of 2008, the CVBR consolidated many of its investigators under one roof at Research North, 99 Brookline Avenue.