Lisandra Vila Ellis

Gas diffusion in the mammalian lung takes place in the alveoli, where a thin epithelium is surrounded by a capillary network. Traditionally, these alveolar capillaries were considered homogeneous until Lisandra's postdoctoral research, which unveiled a novel population of endothelial cells in the mouse lung. Interestingly, the failure to form the alveolar capillary network correctly has been observed in various pulmonary diseases characterized by vascular simplification, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), commonly seen in premature births. Furthermore, recent single-cell RNA sequencing profiling of the human lung by others has also identified a similar endothelial cell population, underscoring the relevance of this research to human diseases. In the Vila Ellis Lab, we will investigate this newly discovered heterogeneity during development and regeneration with the ultimate objective of elucidating the transcriptional mechanisms underlying endothelial heterogeneity, endothelial cell fate, and the molecular and cellular components of lung angiogenesis. By doing so, we aim to provide crucial insights into fundamental biology questions.