The Center for Vascular Biology (CVB) at the UConn Health Center was formed in 1998. UConn Board of Trustees chose Vascular Biology as one of the strategic areas of research in the Health Center Strategic Plan and recruitment began in earnest in 1998. There are now Six primary faculty in the Center and is directed by Dr. Timothy Hla. Several other UConn Health Center faculty are affiliated with the CVB and contribute to the research and education efforts of the center.

Vascular Biology is the study of the cells of the vascular system, which permeates every organ in the body. Blood vessels are dynamic structures made up of several cell types, including endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Abnormality of blood vessels is important in many serious diseases, including heart attacks, diabetic leg ulcers, cancer growth and metastasis, diabetic blindness, rheumatoid arthritis, among others. The faculty and staff at the CVB are interested in better understanding the molecular mechanisms of blood vessels in normal physiological conditions and in disease. State-of-the-art research is being conducted by staff of the CVB in the areas of tumor angiogenesis, lipid mediators, signal transduction, vascular proteomics, post-transcriptional gene expression, vascular developmental biology and cell invasion/metastasis. Faculty in the CVB participate in educational programs in Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine and the Graduate School. Active pre- and post-doctoral training programs also exist in laboratories of the CVB. Through cutting edge research and education, we aim to contribute important new knowledge in the field of vascular biology.

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