Vesicle Dynamics in Aging & Disease
We study how vesicle trafficking and fusion control cellular communication and how these processes contribute to neurodegeneration.
Yale School of Medicine · Nanobiology Institute
Research
We develop novel technologies at the interface of bioengineering, molecular biology, and chemistry to uncover and reprogram the cellular secretion pathways that break down during aging and age-related disease.
Our lab investigates how cells communicate and how these conversations break down in disease. At the core of our research is vesicle biology: the trafficking, fusion, and release of neurotransmitters, hormones, and proteins that coordinate brain–body health.
We ask how the brain regulates glucose metabolism through neural–endocrine circuits, and why this dialogue falters in diabetes, neurodegeneration, and aging. Neurons sense nutrients and hormones, then direct pancreatic β-cells to release insulin in precisely tuned bursts. When this feedback loop breaks, it accelerates cognitive decline, metabolic dysfunction, and age‑related disease.
To tackle these challenges, we combine basic discovery with translational engineering. Using lab-on-chip devices, super resolution imaging, and engineered extracellular vesicles, we:
- Decode how vesicle pools and SNARE regulators control insulin secretion and synaptic release.
- Interrogate how intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) like tau, α‑synuclein, and TDP‑43 affect synaptic transmission, spread via exosomes, and disrupt communication.
- Engineer EVs as therapeutic carriers for drug and gene delivery that bypass endosomes and directly rewire the cell surface proteome.
What We Study
Brain-Body Communication
We investigate how neurons and peripheral organs coordinate energy balance. Using co-culture and organoid models, we decode insulin secretion and neuroendocrine control.
Lab-on-Chip Platforms
We develop innovative tools to visualize and reprogram exocytosis, bridging single-molecule imaging with translational nanotechnology.