Events

Bioengineering PDRA Seminar by Weiqi Li & Pamela Swiatlowska

Date: Tuesday 7 November 2023 12:00 - 12:30  

Location: SEMS Seminar Room & MS Team

1st Talk Title: The role of actomyosin in the regulation of syndecan-1 in hyperosmosis.

Weiqi Li's project is about the vascular biology and vascular engineering. Particular interest goes to the endothelial glycocalyx, a protective layer along the luminal surface of the blood vessel. I aim to elucidate how the glycocalyx develops and sheds under healthy and diseased vascular conditions. I also work on endothelial mechanics and directional cell migration on different types of substrate, with the ultimate gold of understanding the process of vascular stiffening and aging.

Keywords: Tension homoeostasis, the glycocalyx

2nd Talk Title: Cardiovascular Mechano-Epigenetics: Force-Dependent Regulation of Histone Modifications and Gene Regulation

David Shepherd's project is about studying regulation of mechanosensing in healthy and atherosclerotic vascular smooth muscle cells. This work involves number of techniques, such as mechanical stimulation (pressure, stiffness, stretch), biomechanical characterization (AFM, Nanoindentation), cellular force measurements (nanopillars, FRET tension sensors) as well as (live) super-resolution microscopy. Further expertise: fibroblast and cardiomyocyte mechanobiology from animal and human models.

Keywords: mechanobiology, heart disease, atherosclerosis, cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, bioengineering, bioprinting

This seminar will be chaired by .