Cornelis van Breemen

PhD, MSc, DVM

Investigator Emeritus, BC Children's Hospital

Our research is devoted to investigation of the events in cells inside the blood vessel walls, which cause cardiovascular disorders, the main cause of death in the developed world. A thin layer of muscle inside the vessel wall governs blood pressure and blood flow along the vessels. This layer consists of smooth muscle cells that contract and relax in response to hormones and stimuli from nerves. Contraction and relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells are regulated by complex mechanisms inside cells that depend on ion exchange, cellular architecture, and activity of intracellular proteins. Calcium entering the cell through special protein channels plays a central role in regulation of vascular function. We study which proteins regulate calcium influx in vascular cells, and how calcium distribution inside the cell interplays with intracellular structure to regulate vasoconstriction. We also study how diseases such as diabetes or Marfan syndrome affect these orchestrated intracellular mechanisms.