Dr. Sarah De Val

Biography

Sarah De Val's research aims to develop novel strategies to modulate vessel growth which are directly relevant to ischemic heart disease and neovascular growth. She has worked on various aspects of gene regulation throughout her career. Her work focuses particularly on transcriptional pathways that regulate the dynamic gene expression patterns required for the correct formation and function of the mammalian vascular system. During her post-doctoral research, she employed combined analysis of gene enhancers and in vivo gene depletion models to describe a transcriptional pathway that regulates endothelial cell specification. As an independent researcher, her lab focuses on understanding the regulatory mechanisms controlling angiogenesis, vascular differentiation, and heterogeneity. She takes an enhancer-centric approach, identifying types of endothelial cell enhancers and elucidating the transcriptional signaling components that regulate them. Her work utilizes zebrafish and mouse models to exploit the ease of visualization and speed of genome engineering, which provides a relevant model for studying pathological conditions. Her research is supported by grants and fellowships from various institutions including the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council.

Research Interests