The primary interest of our clinical and basic science research program is vascular anomalies, a group of tumors and malformations that affect the vasculature. We currently are investigating the pathophysiology of these lesions by studying resected clinical tissue in the laboratory to determine their angiogenic basis. Specifically, we are studying their endothelium in an effort to develop better pharmacological treatment of these lesions. Clinically, we have described, and are continuing to study, less invasive ways of removing these lesions.

Our second area of study is pediatric cranioplasty using autologous particulate calvarial bone graft. Cranioplasty in young children is difficult because of limited autologous donor sites and the reluctance to use alloplastic materials in the growing skeleton. We have shown that particulate cranial bone graft harvested from the infant effectively prevents, as well as treats, calvarial defects. We are translating our clinical findings to an animal model to compare angiogenesis and healing between particulate bone graft, other sources of autologous bone, and alloplastic materials.

Our third area of interest is the determination of the mechanism of action of vacuum assisted wound closure (VAC). The VAC device has caused a paradigm shift in the management of problematic wounds, increasing healing rates and reducing the number of wounds requiring complex reconstruction. We have shown that one mechanism by which the VAC system accelerates wound closure is by increasing angiogenesis and decreasing matrix metalloproteinase activity. We are continuing our studies into the angiogenic basis of the VAC device and are developing animal models with the ultimate goal of producing more efficacious systems.