Overview

Our work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Heart Association (AHA), and USF Health.

Current Funding

NIH/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute R01 Award

(PI: Yao)
Endothelial laminin in blood brain barrier regulation (2019-2024)
The major goal of this project is to determine the function of endothelial laminin in blood-brain barrier maintenance and investigate its underlying molecular mechanisms.

NIH/National Institute on Aging R01 Award

(PI: Yao)
The roles of pericyte-derived laminin in neurovascular function and neurodegeneration (2021-2026)
The major goal of this project is to investigate the roles of pericyte-derived laminin in blood-brain barrier integrity, pericyte biology/function, brain influx/efflux function, and neurodegeneration.

NIH/National Institute on Aging R21 Award

(PI: Yao)
Screening and identification of pericyte-specific and subpopulation-specific markers (2020-2022)
The major goal of this project is to screen and identify organ-specific and subpopulation-specific molecular markers for pericytes.

NIH/National Institute on Aging R21 Award

(PI: Yao)
Cell-specific changes of laminin expression in the CNS in Alzheimer’s disease (2021-2023)
The major goal of this project is to characterize laminin expression in the CNS in a cell-specific manner under physiological conditions and in Alzheimer’s disease.

AHA/Predoctoral Fellowship

(PI: Xu, Sponsor: Yao)
The function of fibroblast-derived laminin-γ1 in intracerebral hemorrhage pathogenesis (2020-2022)
The major goal of this project is to study the function of fibroblast-derived laminin in the pathogenesis of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Previous Funding

AHA/Scientist Development Grant

(PI: Yao)
Pericytic laminin regulates pericyte differentiation and blood vessel integrity in the brain (2016-2019)
The major goal of this project is to study the function of pericyte-derived laminin in pericyte differentiation and cerebrovascular integrity.