Research interests: Endothelial mechanobiology, inflammation, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, hemodynamics
Dr. Passerini’s research studies the origins of atherosclerosis, the inflammation of arteries that underlies cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and disability.
His lab applies artery-on-a-chip microfluidic tools to study the signaling mechanisms by which mechanical cues imparted by blood flow converge with other factors driven by diet and metabolism to sensitize the arteries to pathological change.
His work has provided insight into the links between unhealthy diets, lipid metabolism, and endothelial inflammatory responses that mark among the earliest changes in atherosclerosis.
The ultimate goals of this work are to better predict cardiovascular risk and to reduce the burden of human disease.
