Science & Discovery

The Valdez Lab focuses on understanding the pathology and physiology of vascular diseases present in the eye using mouse models. Dr. Valdez is interested in investigating endothelial cell (EC)-pericyte interactions in the microvasculature (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) of the retina in animal models of disease. Her research primarily focuses on capillaries, which are formed by two cell types: EC's create the inner layer and pericytes form the outer layer. Her previous work was centered on understanding the role of pericyte loss in diabetic retinopathy, the eye disease in diabetes. Through this research, Dr. Valdez was able to experimentally show for the first time that conditional loss of pericytes in adult mice caused microvascular destabilization - acellular capillaries, microaneurysms, and leakage - which has implications for diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, she created automated methods for quantifying EC's, pericytes, and acellular capillaries in the microvasculature of mice.

The Valdez Lab is currently investigating cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), the leading cause of stroke and cognitive impairment and a common neurological disorder in the elderly. Along with her collaborators at Harvard Medical School/Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Dr. Valdez is studying the EC-pericyte interactions in models of CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy), the most common monogenic cause of SVD.