Blackman Lab • University of Virginia •  Department of Biomedical Engineering • 415 Lane Road • MR-5 Room, 2226 • Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA
Research Research PhD Graduate Student
Michael Simmers
PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
BS, University of Virginia, 2005
 
msimmers@virginia.edu
BIO Mike is the longest-standing member of the Blackman Lab. He joined the Blackman lab in 2003 as an undergraduate research assistant where he developed a high motility tracking algorithm to assess endothelial cell migratory behavior under fluid flow conditions. Mike then went on to graduate from the first class of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia, and is currently in his third year of graduate school. His research interests are in understanding the relationship between endothelial cell migratory behaviors and permeability; two important features of the endothelium that are compromised in atherosclerosis. Mike is currently supported by an NIH sponsored Basic Cardiovascular Research Training Grant. Research Development and characterization a fully automated cell tracking algorithm for confluent endothelium in culture to assess migratory and morphological behavior in response to a variety of conditions, including hemodynamic shear stress and growth factor stimulation, and molecular deficiencies Investigating the mechanisms of hemodynamic induced, beta-catenin dependent regulation of vascular permeability in atherosclerosis. Publications Hastings NE, Simmers MB, McDonald O, Wamhoff BR, Blackman BR. “Atherosclerosis-prone hemodynamics differentially regulates endothelial and smooth muscle cell phenotypes and promotes pro-inflammatory priming.” Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2007 (in press) Simmers MB, Pryor AW, Blackman BR. “Arterial Shear Stress Regulates Endothelial Cell Directed Migration, Polarity, and Morphology in Confluent Monolayers.” Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007 Jun 22 Orr AW, Stockton R, Simmers MB, Sanders JM, Sarembock IJ, Blackman BR, Schwartz MA. “Matrix-specific p21-activated kinase activation regulates vascular permeability in atherogenesis.”J Cell Biol. 2007 Feb 26;176(5):719-27. Lab Photo Gallery Home News Research Publications People Laboratory of Atherogenesis