About Us

The overarching mission of the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program is to advance vascular health by:

• Identifying novel therapeutic targets
• Developing innovative treatment strategies
• Engineering synthetic blood vessels and organs through tissue engineering.

In addition, the Program is dedicated to training both basic scientists and clinician researchers in these critical disciplines, organizing programmatic grants and seminar series, and providing a cohesive intellectual framework for Cardiovascular Research at Yale.

To foster collaboration and facilitate meaningful interactions between primary and associate VBT labs, we actively engage in the following activities in partnership with the Yale Cardiovascular Center (YCVRC):

Research in Progress (RIP) Sessions:
Weekly RIP sessions provide a platform for trainees (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and associates) to present their ongoing research. Following each presentation, there is a dedicated mentoring session with faculty members, offering trainees valuable feedback not only on their project and presentation but also on their career development. Principal Investigators (PIs) are encouraged to nominate trainees for the rotation schedule, ensuring a broad range of research topics are covered.

Seminar Series:
Our seminar series, held twice a month, invites faculty and trainees to sponsor guest speakers in the field of vascular and cardiovascular biology. Each guest speaker spends a full day at Yale, delivering a lecture on their research, engaging in one-on-one meetings with faculty, and holding a career discussion session with the trainees. This provides a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange and career development.

Annual Retreat:
The VBT Program's annual fall retreat, held at Yale's West Campus Conference Center, serves as a flagship event for the program. The retreat features the Pober Lecture in Vascular Biology and a Keynote Lecture, both delivered by distinguished guest speakers from across the country. The event also includes presentations from Yale faculty and short talks by VBT and YCVRC trainees. Trainees are further encouraged to present their research findings during a poster session, providing an excellent opportunity for feedback and networking.

The Yale Interdepartmental Program in Vascular Biology and Transplantation (VBT) was founded in 2000 by Jordan S. Pober, M.D., Ph.D., in collaboration with the Yale Interdisciplinary Program in Clinical Transplantation, directed by Marc I. Lorber, M.D. This synergistic effort aimed to apply the principles of vascular biology to enhance organ replacement therapies and, conversely, to use clinical transplantation as a platform for advancing the science of vascular biology.

The VBT program originally focused on three core research objectives: 1) Improving transplantation outcomes by developing new therapies for acute and chronic arterial injury in organ allografts; 2) Advancing endothelial cell-based strategies for tissue revascularization and engineering synthetic, vascularized tissues and organs; and 3) Investigating vascular rejection mechanisms in pig-to-human xenotransplantation.

The program’s structure combined the strengths of Yale’s basic science faculty with expertise from the clinical organ transplantation team, known for both exceptional clinical outcomes and extensive experience in clinical trials.

In June 2003, the opening of the Anlyan Research Building (TAC) at 300 Cedar Street provided a dedicated research space on the fourth floor of the Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine (BCMM), supporting the program’s growth.

In 2007, Wiliam C. Sessa, Ph.D. became the program’s director, and the program was renamed the Interdepartmental Program in Vascular Biology and Therapeutics (VBT) to better reflect its evolving focus and multidisciplinary scope. Despite growing in size and scope, VBT maintained its “program without walls” ethos, with several faculty members continuing to operate in their departmental spaces. The third and fourth floors of the Amistad Research Building soon became the program’s new home, providing a modern, collaborative environment that encouraged interactions with the Yale Stem Cell Center (YSCC) and the Human Translational Immunology (HTI) Program.

In 2008, the creation of the Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) with primary labs at 300 George Street further strengthened ties between VBT and the Department of Medicine, fostering greater interdisciplinary collaboration.

In 2022, Carlos Fernandez-Hernando, Ph.D., assumed the role of the third director of the VBT program. His leadership has focused on enhancing the program's environment through optimizing research facilities, integrating cutting-edge technologies, recruiting new faculty members, and fostering a collaborative spirit.

The program’s faculty make national and international scientific contributions in the field of vascular biology and currently target five critical areas of scientific inquiry.

1. Immunobiology and Metabolism in Cardiovascular Disease
   This area that studies the complex interactions between the immune system, metabolic processes, and cardiovascular health.
2. Novel Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Disease
   This area is dedicated to uncovering new and previously unidentified pathways, processes, and factors that contribute to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. It involves exploring beyond the well-known risk factors and mechanisms to gain deeper insights into how cardiovascular diseases originate and evolve.
3. Human Genetics, Novel Technologies, and Cardiovascular Imaging
   This area focuses on integrating advances in human genetics, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative cardiovascular imaging techniques to improve our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
4. Vascular Aging and Regeneration
   This area focuses on understanding the processes involved in the aging of blood vessels and exploring methods to regenerate or repair vascular tissues. The goal is to uncover the mechanisms of vascular aging and develop therapies to improve vascular health and treat related diseases.
5. Neurovascular Disease
   These are conditions that affect the blood vessels supplying the brain and the nervous system. Alterations in neurovascular physiology can lead to serious health problems, including strokes, aneurysms, and other issues involving restricted or blocked blood flow to the brain.

2023-2024

• Katheleen Martin - AHA Vascular Discovery Chair (AHA)

2022

• Murat Günel - Ralph G. Dacey Medal for Outstanding Cerebrovascular Research
• Andres Hidalgo - Elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
• Katheleen Martin - Alexander W. Clowes Distinguished Lecturer (Society of Vascular Surgery)
• Stephania Nicoli - Established Investigator Award (AHA) , Judah Folkman Award in Vascular Biology (NAVBO)

2021

• Carlos Fernández-Hernando - Judah Folkman Award in Vascular Biology (NAVBO)

2019

• Carlos Fernández-Hernando - Jeffrey Hoeg Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Award (AHA)
• Jay Humphrey - Fellow, International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering