PI: Slaven Crnkovic
Focus: My team is working to understand how the diversity and plasticity of smooth muscle cells in the pulmonary vessels maintain homeostasis and influence disease processes in the lungs. Our goal is to provide unprecedented insight into the heterogeneity and anatomical distribution of different smooth muscle cell populations under normal and pathological conditions. To achieve this, we use a combination of molecular, cellular, and physiological assays. By applying state-of-the-art transcriptomic, epigenetic, and proteomic single-cell analyses, we gain insights into cellular diversity and key intercellular signaling pathways. In addition, we localize different smooth muscle cell populations using high-resolution, three-dimensional, multispectral imaging of lung tissue.
Networking: My research group collaborates internationally with Saverio Bellusci (Justus Liebig University Giessen) on cell line tracking and transgenic experimental models. We perform single-cell RNAseq analyses with Leigh Marsh (Otto Loewi Research Center) and Ed Morrisey (University of Pennsylvania). High-resolution multispectral imaging is performed in collaboration with Heimo Wolinski (Karl Franzens University Graz). We also have a long-standing collaboration with the Clinical Department of Pneumology, Medical University of Graz. We receive additional clinical insight and pathological expertise from Jörg Lindenmann (Clinical Department of Thoracic and Hyperbaric Surgery, Medical University of Graz). Through the international collaborative ERA Net scholarship, we cooperate with Roxane Paulin / Konda Babu Kurakula (Canada and Germany). We collaborate with Miranda Sertic (University of Zagreb) in the field of personalized medicine. (Funding: Croatian Science Foundation (Project 8461)).
