Aaron Proweller , MD, PhD

I am a clinical cardiologist and basic scientist with a fundamental research interest in vascular wall biology. Our research program broadly aims to identify mechanisms through which Notch signaling in vascular smooth muscle (SM) influences key features of blood vessel competency including vascular patterning, angiogenesis, and vasoreactivity. The laboratory utilizes mouse gene targeting in gain- and loss-of-function experiments and employs a wide array of cell, molecular and vascular imaging techniques to characterize the function of Notch signaling. Our lab is responsible for generating and characterizing mouse models that recapitulate cerebral arterial patterning defects seen in humans with increased stroke risk and for identifying novel Notch-mediated mechanisms regulating arterial force production and blood pressure. The long-term research goal is to determine how cellular derangements from Notch dysfunction play important roles in adult vascular disease, including hypertension and stroke and hypoxia-induced angiogenesis.

Finally, in addition to active clinical and investigative efforts, I serve as Internal Medicine Residency Associate Program Director and Director of the Harrington Physician Scientist Pathway at CWRU, providing research mentorship at individual and programmatic levels to both post-doctoral and physician trainees.