Principal Investigator
Luisa Iruela-Arispe, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Email: arispe@mcdb.ucla.edu
Distinguished Professor of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology
Director, Molecular Biology Institute
Chair, Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Graduate Program
Affiliations:
Molecular Biology Institute
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Stem Cell Program
Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine
Professor in the Dept. of Orthopaedics
M.Sc. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ph.D., University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and Univ. of Washington, Seattle (thesis advisor: Helene Sage).
Postdoctoral Training University of Washington, Seattle
Previous appointments:
1994-1998 – Assistant Professor – Dept. Pathology, Harvard Medical School
1998- 2000 – Assistant Professor – Dept. of Molecular Cell and Dev. Biology, UCLA
2000-2003 – Associate Professor with Tenure – Dept. of Molecular Cell and Dev. Biology, UCLA
2003-2017 – Professor – Dept. of Molecular Cell and Dev. Biology, UCLA
Staff
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Lab Manager: Michelle SteelEmail: m.steel@ucla.edu Undergrad: Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut – Reg. Veterinary Tech. Previous Position: UCLA DLAM Assisted Reproductive Technologies Lab I transferred to the Arispe Lab as a Staff Research Associate in May 2010 after 9 years of working for the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine at UCLA. There I used to manage the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Lab for mice where I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Arispe and some of her amazing students. My current role in the lab involves a variety of tasks like getting new lab members set up with all of the required training, helping to maintain and update the animal use protocols, assisting lab members with various animal techniques, and cryopreserving mouse embryos just to name a few. My goals are to become proficient in ES cell culture and novel transgenic technologies to be able to provide additional support to our lab and contribute more to the scientific community as a whole while continuing to maintain my firm ideals in humane animal use in research. I feel blessed to have been given this incredible opportunity to work with Dr. Arispe and some of UCLA’s brightest that also share my compassion and respect for all life whether for our mice or fellow human beings. |
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Staff Research Associate: Vida JedianEmail: vjedian@mednet.ucla.edu Vida joined the Arispe Lab in May 2018. |
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Laboratory Assistant: Shreya BanerjeeEmail: vjedian@mednet.ucla.edu Undergrad: UCLA, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Dept I am fascinated by the molecular mechanisms behind cardiovascular diseases and look forward to discovering more during my time in the lab. |
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Administrative Assistant: Vanessa GonzalezEmail: vanegonzalez@mcdb.ucla.edu B.A. in Political Science from UCLA I have been serving as administrative support to Dr. Arispe and her research lab since May 2017 and am delighted to encounter a bright group of scientists ready to collaborate and advance in their respective fields. I hope to make a positive contribution to The Arispe Lab, the Department of Molecular Cell and Development Biology, and the Molecular Biology Institute. |
Post-Doctoral Fellows
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Austin Quach, Ph.D.Email: unitsag@ucla.edu Undergrad/Master Institution: Graduate Institution: Austin joined the Arispe Lab over the Summer of 2018. He previously worked with Dr. Steve Horvath in bioinformatics. |
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Emilie Rannou, Ph.D.Email: erannou@ucla.edu Undergrad/Master Institution: UPMC (Pierre and Marie Curie University) Paris, France Graduate Institution: IRNS (Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety), under the tutoring of Dr. Fabien Milliat I joined the Arispe lab in January 2016. During my PhD project I investigated the deleterious effect of endothelial PAI-1 in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced enteritis. My goals during this post-doctoral training are to further use my expertise in radiobiology and radiopathology to address physiopathological processes in endothelial cells, while expanding my knowledge of vascular biology. PublicationsRannou, E., Francois, A., Toullec, A., Guipaud, O., Buard, V., Tarlet, G., Jaillet, C., Iruela-Arispe, M.L., Benderitter, M., Sabourin, J.C., Milliat, F. 2015. In vivo evidence for an endothelium-dependent mechanism in radiation-induced normal tissue injury. Sci Rep. 5:15738. Toullec, A., Valerie, B., Rannou, E., Tarlet, G., Guipaud, O., Robine, S., Iruela-Arispe, M.L., Francois, A., Milliat, F. 2017. HIF-1α deletion in endothelium, but not in the epithelium, protects from radiation-induced enteritis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 5(1): 15-30. |
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Georg Hilfenhaus, M.D.Email: ghilfenhaus@ucla.edu Graduate: Dr.med., Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany, Gastroenterology/Oncology Residency: Med. Klinik fur Gastroenterology, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Internal Medicine Member – Med. Klinik fur Gastroenterology, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, GI Oncology Team Research Group – Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Experimental & Clinical Research Center (ECRC) Berlin-Buch, Group of Dr. C. Fischer My research centers around the interplay of tumor cells with the vascular endothelium, and its role on metastasis and immune regulation in different types of cancer. I received my medical degree at the Charite-Humboldt University Berlin (Germany), where I developed a strong interest in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with solid tumors. To combine my scientific interests in vascular and cancer research, I joined the Arispe lab in August 2013. My current projects address two major tumor microenvironmental aspects and its therapeutic potential: a) the importance of blood vessels for immune response and immune escape of solid tumors. b) Mechanisms how cancer cells overcome the endothelial barrier during extravasation and distant metastasis. By applying tumor models in-vitro and in-vivo, as well as high throughput screenings and functional genomics, we are seeking new strategies to prevent cancer metastasis and tumor progression, with the ultimate goal of clinical translation. I am encouraged by the collaborative and interdisciplinary environment at UCLA and Los Angeles. PublicationsZiyad, S., Riordan, J.D., Cavanaugh, A.C., Su, T., Hernandez, G.E., Hilfenhaus, G., Morselli, M., Huynh, K., Wang, K., Chen, J.M., Dupuy, A.J., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. A forward genetic screen targeting the endothelium reveals a regulatory role for the lipid kinase Pi4Ka in myelo- and erythropoiesis. Cell Reports. 22(5): 1211-1224. Freitas, V., Hilfenhaus, G., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. Metastasis of Circulating Tumor Cells: Speed Matters. Dev Cell. 45(1): 3-5. Hilfenhaus, G., Nguyen, D., Freshman, J., Prajapati, D., Ma, F., Song, D., Ziyad, S., Cuadrado, M., Pellegrini, M., Busteo, X.R., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. VAV3-induced Cytoskeletal Dynamics Contribute to Heterotypic Properties of Endothelial Barriers. J Cell Biol. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201706041 |
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Melanie Uebelhoer, Ph.D.Email: muebelhoer@ucla.edu Undergrad: University of Bayreuth, Germany, Immunology and Genetics Graduate: Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium, Lab of Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute Postdoc Fellow: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, Luisa Iruela-Arispe I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Arispe lab. After graduating with a Masters degree in Immunology and Genetics from the University of Bayreuth in Germany, I carried out my PhD in Biomedical Sciences in the lab of Prof Miikka Vikkula at Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium. My research focused on the pathogenic effects of venous malformation-causative mutations in the tyrosine kinase receptor TIE2. I am very interested in the molecular bases of human disease, particularly (cardio-) vascular disease. To gain deeper insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying vascular development, I joined the Arispe lab in early 2015. My current project includes the characterization of vascular malformations and tumors and the study of novel pathways involved in vascular development. I am specifically interested in exploring the cross-talk of genes found to be associated with the emergence of vascular anomalies, in order to determine their function in maintenance of endothelial homeostasis. PublicationsUebelhoer, M., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2016. Cross-talk between signaling and metabolism in the vasculature. Vasc Pharmacol. 83:4-9. Jelinek, D., Flores, A., Uebelhoer, M., Pasque, V., Plath, K., Iruela-Arispe, M.L., Christofk, H.R., Lowry, W.E., Coller, H.A. 2018. Mapping Metabolism: Monitoring Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity Directly in Tissue. J Vis Exp. (136): e58860. DOI: 10.3791/57760. |
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Milagros Romay, Ph.D.Email: m.c.romay@ucla.edu Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles, CA, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics Graduate: University of California, Los Angeles, CA I joined the Aripse Lab in July 2016. As a graduate student my research focused on utilizing systems genetics approaches to identify novel contributors to cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure. As postdoctoral fellow, my research focuses on understanding the function of the gene NOTCH3 in vascular smooth muscles and how NOTCH3 dysregulation contributes to development the familial stroke disorder Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). PublicationsMack, J.J., Mosqueiro, T.S. Archer, B.J., Jones, W.M., Sunshine, H., Faas, G.C., Briot, A., Aragón, R., Su, Y.T., Romay, M.C., McDonald, A.I., Kuo, C., Lizama, C.O., Lane, T.F., Zovein, A.C., Fang, Y., Tarling, E.J., de Aguiar Vallim, T.Q., Navab, M., Fogelman, A.M., Bouchard, L.S., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2017. NOTCH1 is a mechanosensor in adult arteries. Nature Communications. 8(1): 1620. Shirali, A.S., Romay, M.C., McDonald, A.I., Su, T., Steel, M.E., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. A multi-step transcriptional cascade underlies vascular regeneration in vivo. Scientific Reports. 8(1):5430. |
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Sanna Vattulainen, Ph.D. |
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Yalda Afshar, M.D., Ph.D.Email: yafshar@mednet.ucla.edu Undergrad: University of California, Berkeley, Molecular Cell Biology, Anthropology, Integrative Biology Residency: Cedars-Sinai, Obstetrics & Gynecology I am a current Maternal Fetal Medicine fellow at UCLA having completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. My work in the Arispe lab will focus on the molecular mechanisms that underlie fetal congenital heart defects in both low-risk and high-risk pregnancies. Briefly, we hope to investigate how maternal diabetes alters genetic predisposition to fetal congenital heart diseases by characterizing epigenetics and transcriptome analysis in both a murine model and human umbilical cord model. |
Graduate Students
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Gloria HernandezEmail: glo.hernan77@gmail.com Undergrad: University of California, Santa Cruz; Bioengineering B.S. Graduate: University of California, Los Angeles; MBIDP (Cell and Developmental Biology) I joined the Arispe Lab in Summer of 2017. Prior to graduate school, I studied hematopoietic stem cells during development. Currently, I am studying the crosstalk between various signaling pathways of vascular endothelial cells. When I’m not in lab, I enjoy playing soccer, going to the beach, and finding new breweries. PublicationsZiyad, S., Riordan, J.D., Cavanaugh, A.C., Su, T., Hernandez, G.E., Hilfenhaus, G., Morselli, M., Huynh, K., Wang, K., Chen, J.N., Dupuy, A.J., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. A forward genetic screen targeting the endothelium reveals a regulatory role for the lipid kinase Pi4Ka in myelo- and erythropoiesis. Cell Reports. 22(5):1211-1224. McDonald, A.I., Shirali, A.S., Aragón, R., Ma, F., Hernandez, G., Vaughn, D.A., Mack, J.J., Lim, T.Y., Sunshine, H., Zhao, P., Kalinichenko, V., Hai, T., Pelegrini, M., Ardehali, R., and Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. Endothelial Regeneration of Large Vessels is a Biphasic Process Driven by Local Cells with Distinct Proliferative Capacities. Cell Stem Cell. 23(2):210-225. |
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Hanna SunshineEmail: hsunshine@ucla.edu Undergrad: California State University, Fullerton CA, Cell & Developmental Biology Graduate: University of California, Los Angeles, MCIP Program I joined the Arispe Lab in Spring of 2016, and am pursuing a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology. Prior to graduate school, I worked for three years in a small Biotech company in Irvine, California isolating and studying human pancreatic islets of Langerhans. In the Arispe lab I am studying various factors that affect vascular endothelial homeostasis through the modulation of Notch signaling. PublicationsSunshine, H., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2017. Membrane lipids and cell signaling. Curr Opin Lipidol. 28(5): 408-413. Mack, J.J., Mosqueiro, T.S., Archer, B.J., Jones, W.M., Sunshine, H., Faas, G.C., Briot, A., Aragón, R., Su, Y.T., Romay, M.C., McDonald, A.I., Kuo, C., Lizama, C.O., Lane, T.F., Zovein, A.C., Fang, Y., Tarling, E.J., de Aguiar Vallim, T.Q., Navab, M., Fogelman, A.M., Bouchard, L.S., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2017. NOTCH1 is a mechanosensor in adult arteries. Nature Communications. 8(1): 1620. McDonald, A.I., Shirali, A.S., Aragón, R., Ma, F., Hernandez, G., Vaughn, D.A., Mack, J.J., Lim, T.Y., Sunshine, H., Zhao, P., Kalinichenko, V., Hai, T., Pelegrini, M., Ardehali, R., and Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. Endothelial Regeneration of Large Vessels is a Biphasic Process Driven by Local Cells with Distinct Proliferative Capacities. Cell Stem Cell. 23(2):210-225. |
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Jocelynda SalvadorEmail: js1@ucla.edu Undergrad: UC Irvine, Biomedical Engineering Graduate: University of California, MCIP Home Area I am a graduate student in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology PhD program and I joined the Arispe Lab in the spring of 2019. I graduated from UC Irvine in 2016 with a degree in biomedical engineering and then became a post-baccalaureate fellow at the University of Missouri where I studied endothelial cell invasion and morphogenesis in the lab of Dr. George E Davis. I am currently working with Sanna to study how flow affects microtubule post-translational modifications in endothelial cells and am also getting the Arispe Lab’s own 3D printer up and running! |
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Raquel L. AragónEmail: raquel@mcdb.ucla.edu Undergrad: Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, Biochemistry Graduate: University of California, Los Angeles, MBIDP (Cell and Developmental Biology Home Area) I am a graduate student in the Molecular Biology Interdepartmental PhD Program and joined the lab in Summer 2017. I completed my undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College as a Biochemistry major where I studied the effects of DNA damage on nucleosome formation. In the Arispe lab my research focus is on the mechanobiology of vascular endothelium in the context of homeostasis and repair. Outside of lab you will find me taking dance classes or trying the best ice cream spots around the city! PublicationsMack, J.J., Mosqueiro, T.S., Archer, B.J., Jones, W.M., Sunshine, H., Faas, G.C., Briot, A., Aragón, R., Su, Y.T., Romay, M.C., McDonald, A.I., Kuo, C., Lizama, C.O., Lane, T.F., Zovein, A.C., Fang, Y., Tarling, E.J., de Aguiar Vallim, T.Q., Navab, M., Fogelman, A.M., Bouchard, L.S., Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2017. NOTCH1 is a mechanosensor in adult arteries. Nature Communications. 8(1): 1620. McDonald, A.I., Shirali, A.S., Aragón, R., Ma, F., Hernandez, G., Vaughn, D.A., Mack, J.J., Lim, T.Y., Sunshine, H., Zhao, P., Kalinichenko, V., Hai, T., Pelegrini, M., Ardehali, R., and Iruela-Arispe, M.L. 2018. Endothelial Regeneration of Large Vessels is a Biphasic Process Driven by Local Cells with Distinct Proliferative Capacities. Cell Stem Cell. 23(2):210-225. |
Undergraduate Students
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Andrew ReyesEmail: areyes191999@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Fall 2018 Major: MCDB I am currently working under the mentorship of Dr. Milagros Romay who studies the function of the NOTCH3 gene in context of Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortcial Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). While I’m new to the lab and have yet to determine the course of my undergraduate research career, it is my overarching goal to increase my understanding of genetically-linked diseases and their mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels. |
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Anthony SuberskiEmail: asuberski@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Spring 2019 Major: MCDB Anthony Suberski recently joined the Arispe Lab and will be working under the tutelage of Postdoctoral Fellow Sanna Vattulainen. |
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Anhyo Jeong (AJ)Email: ajeon@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Fall 2018 Major: Anhyo recently joined the Arispe Lab and will be working under the tutelage of Postdoctoral Fellows Milagros Romay and Yalda Afshar. |
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Guadalupe MartinezEmail: gmartinez1120@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Summer 2018 Major: Physiological Science I am a second-year Physiological Science major working under the tutelage of Gloria Hernandez, predoctoral student at the Arispe Lab. We are currently working towards defining the intimal immune cell population and determining the biological relevance of immune cell accumulation in a non-diseased, aged mouse model. |
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Isabella CardenasEmail: pekuis@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Summer 2018 Major: MCDB Isabella recently joined the Arispe Lab and will be working under the tutelage of Postdoctoral Fellow Sanna Vattulainen. |
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Kamal KolluriEmail: kamalkolluri@gmail.com Arispe Lab: Winter 2019 Major: MIMG I am a first-year MIMG major that joined the lab recently. Currently, I am working with Dr. Melanie Uebelhoer to learn basic lab techniques and learn about all of the science that the lab is working on. |
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Liliana TinocoEmail: lgtinoco@ucla.edu Arispe Lab: Winter 2018 Major: MCDB My current project focuses on the effects of tension on regenerating vascular endothelial cells. I will specifically be looking at how in vitro cells respond to tension through Ibidi flow, and also be looking for the presence of multinucleated cells, using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. I will be planting cells on y-slides and observing areas of both high and low laminar flow to analyze differences in actomyosin contractility. |
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Maya KardouhEmail: mayooshe26@gmail.com Arispe Lab: Summer 2019 Major: MCDB For this summer, I will be working with Gloria and exploring her project regarding intima-resident immune cells. Such cells surprisingly accumulate in the innermost layer of descending aortas in non-diseased adult mice. However, these immune cells are not found in the descending aortas of young mice. These findings raise questions about the significance of the intima-resident immune cells to cardiovascular disease as a result of aging. It is also worth noting that the intima contains a monolayer of endothelial cells, which again present a possible relationship with these immune cells. Our goal is to determine the functionality of the intima-resident immune cells and their relevance to cardiovascular disease and/or endothelial cells, if there is any. |
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Winnie LiuEmail: wliu193@gmail.com Arispe Lab: Winter 2018 Major: MCDB I am currently studying the effects of cholesterol on endothelial homeostasis under my mentor, Hanna Sunshine. Atherosclerosis and heart disease are already known to be heavily affected by high cholesterol diets, but recent studies have shown that there is a genetic link between variations in Notch1 levels and atherosclerosis risk. Mainly through Western Blots, I aim to delve deeper into that link to better understand theses common diseases. By working on this project, I hope to apply my knowledge to further cardiovascular research in the future. |
Summer Interns
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Christine WakasaEmail: cwakasa3@gmail.com Joined Arispe Lab: Summer 2019 |
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Tara ReddyEmail: treddy1@hwemail.com Joined Arispe Lab: Summer 2018-Current Education: Harvard-Westlake High School Tara Reddy is a rising junior at Harvard-Westlake High School. She has explored her interest in medicine by volunteering at the Kaiser Emergency Room in Woodland Hills. She is currently taking an art class at UCLA while working alongside Dr. Melanie Uebelhoer evaluating the process of vascular expansion through the combination of hyperplasia and hypertrophy. |
Recent Alumni
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Julia MackPh.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in Arispe Lab 2011-2017 Research Project: Development of 3D vascular networks from ES and IPS cells. Current Position: Faculty, UCLA Cardiology Division |
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Aditya ShiraliM.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in Arispe Lab 2015-2017 Research Project: Endothelial cell repair and remodeling. Current Position: Surgery Resident, UCLA Health |
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Austin McDonaldGraduate Student in Arispe Lab 2012 – 2017 Research Project: Molecular evaluation of VEGF – binding to matrix: a potential explanation for bevacizymab responses in the clinic. Current Position: Resident, UCLA Health |
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Safiyyah ZiyadPostdoctoral Fellow in Arispe Lab 2015-2017 Research Project: Sleeping Beauty at the oncogenes of hemangiomas. Current Position: Scientist, Translational Sciences, Juno Therapeutics, Inc. |
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Anais BriotPostdoctoral Fellow in Arispe Lab 2010 – 2015 Research Project: Involvement of Jagged1-Notch signaling in vascular development, homeostasis and pathophysiological conditions. Current Position: Faculty, Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases, INSERM, Toulouse, France |
Past Alumni
