Postdoctoral Scholar
Division of Research

Microvascular endothelium is crucial in controlling tissue fluid/oxygen hemostasis, host-defense reaction, and angiogenesis.  Endothelial dysfunction is an early prognostic marker and critical pathological event underlying inflammatory disease, diabetic cardiomyopathy, shock, ischemic and reperfusion injury, as well as tumor metastasis.  My research goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction and discover new therapeutic strategies. My current projects focus on three areas: (1) characterization of VEGF signaling in neutrophil and cancer cell adhesion to and transmigration across the endothelium; (2) homing and repairing mechanisms of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) in vascular injury; and (3) role of endothelial cell apoptosis in the microvascular hyperpermeability response to inflammation.

Qiang Shen, Mack H. Wu, and Sarah Y. Yuan.  Endothelial contractile cytoskeleton and microvascular permeability.  Cell Health and Cytoskeleton.  2009;1 43-50.

Puneet Kumar*, Qiang Shen *, Christopher D. Pivetti, Eugene S. Lee, Mack H. Wu, and Sarah Y. Yuan. (*Co-first Authors)  Molecular mechanisms of endothelial hyperpermeability: implications in inflammation.  Expert Rev Mol Med. 2009; 11:e19.

Mingzhang Guo, Dayle Daines, Jing Tang, Qiang Shen, Rachel M. Perrin, Yoshikazu Takada, Sarah Y. Yuan, and Mack H. Wu.  Fibrinogen-gamma C-terminal fragments induce endothelial barrier dysfunction and microvascular leak via integrin-mediated and RhoA-dependent mechanism.  Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2009; 29(3): 394-400.

Qiang Shen, Jennifer J. Rahn, Jing Zhang, Nirosha Gunesekera, Xuejun Sun, Andrew R.E. Shaw, Michael J. Hendzel, Pat Hoffman, Ashlyn Bernier, and Judith Hugh.  MUC1 initiates Src-CrkL-Rac1/Cdc42-mediated Actin Cytoskeletal Protrusive Motility after ligating ICAM-1.  Molecular Cancer Research 6 (4), 2008. In press

Jennifer J. Rahn*, Qiang Shen*, Brian K. Mah, and Judith C. Hugh. (*Co-first Authors)   MUC1 Initiates a Calcium Signal after Ligation by Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1.  Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol. 279, 2004.