What we investigate

Our research focuses on the mechanisms underlying tissue- and disease-specific functions of lymphatic and blood vessels. To address these questions, we integrate advanced genetic models, high-resolution imaging, diverse cellular systems, and analyses of patient samples.

KEYWORDS
angiogenesis, endothelial cells, lymphangiogenesis, lymphedema, tumor microenvironment

Our research in more detail

While the blood and lymphatic vessels are essential for homeostasis, immune surveillance, and organ function, their roles extend far beyond passive transport. We are interested in understanding how endothelial cells integrate molecular and biomechanical cues to acquire specialized identities, respond to changing physiological contexts, and contribute to pathologies such as cancer, inflammation, and lymphedema.

Our group is particularly interested in postnatal vascular development and the dynamic interactions between vasculature and immune cells during cancer progression and lymphedema. To address these questions we combine advanced in vivo models with high-resolution imaging, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and diverse in vitro systems. We also collaborate with clinicians to analyze patient samples, enabling translational insights.

By bridging developmental and pathological vascular biology, we seek to establish principles of organogenesis and tissue homeostasis, and to propose vascular-based strategies for therapeutic modulation of organ function, immunity, and cancer progression.

 

Prof. Tatiana Petrova
University of Lausanne
Department of Oncology
Chemin des Boveresses 155
1066 Epalinges

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