
Assistant Professor
						  Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
						  6152 Dentistry/Pharmacy  Centre 
University of Alberta 
(780) 492-2120
 Pharmacology of Platelet-derived Angiogenesis Regulators 
                          
Platelets contain abundant pro- and anti-angiogenic mediators which help  regulate angiogenesis. In my laboratory we study the pharmacological regulation  of platelet-derived angiogenesis mediators in an attempt to inhibit growth of  blood vessels to tumors and to promote therapeutic blood vessel growth for  cardiovascular disease. Specifically, we are investigating the role of  platelet-derived angiostatin plays in limiting angiogenesis, and how its production  is regulated by serine and matrix metalloproteinases. Further, we are  interested in how nitric oxide and protein kinase C signaling pathways  influence the release of angiogenesis regulators from platelets. 
For our studies the laboratory techniques that we use include platelet  aggregometry, flow cytometry, microscopy, immunoblot, zymography, PCR, and  various angiogenesis and endothelial cell migration assays.