Vesna Todorović
Period at IMGGE: 1992-1997
Education:
BSc: Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
MSc: Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
PhD: University of Belgrade
Current position and address:
Research Assistent Professor
NYU Langone Medical Center
550 1st Avenue, MSB 650
New York, NY 10016
USA
Research interest:
The general subject of my research is the study of the fibrillin- Latent TGF-β Binding Protein (LTBP) family of extracellular proteins, and their roles in development and disease. Since the fibrillin-LTBP proteins are major regulators of Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ), a pluripotent and omnipresent cytokine, my research also involves studies of TGFβ bioavailability and action during development and in some pathologies (i.e. Marfan syndrome, Urban-Rifkin-Davis syndrome). More specifically, my work includes 1) In-depth studies of the development of great vessels and cardiac valves under normal and pathological conditions comprising lack of the long form of Ltbp1 (Ltbp1L); 2) Study of Ltbp1 and TGFβ roles in wound healing and skin homeostasis; 3) Elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying Marfan syndrome, a condition caused by a mutation in human fibrillin1 gene, with special interest in aortic aneurism and rupture; 4) Analysis of TGFβ bioavailability and activation in certain human cell types deriving from individuals with Urban-Rifkin-Davis syndrome, a newly described human disorder caused by a mutation in the LTBP4 gene. My research is based on in vivo and in vitro studies, involving several mutant mouse lines and cell and tissue cultures.
Additional information: