Kathleen M. Caron

Kathleen M. Caron is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine. Her research focuses on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways, particularly adrenomedullin (AM) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signaling, in lymphatic vascular development and gastrointestinal biology.

• University: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• School: UNC School of Medicine
• Department: Department of Cell Biology and Physiology

Research Interests: Dr. Caron's work investigates GPCR systems in lymphatic endothelial cell function, lymphangiogenesis, and neurovascular-gastrointestinal crosstalk. Key areas include:

• AM-CLR-RAMP2 signaling in developmental lymphangiogenesis
• CGRP's role in lacteal permeability and lipid absorption
• Lymphatic-epithelial interactions in gastrointestinal disease
• Pharmacological targeting of GPCRs for vascular and metabolic disorders
• VE-cadherin interactome in cardiac lymphatic maintenance
• Neuroinflammatory mechanisms in migraine pathophysiology

Scientific Contributions: Her lab discovered the first pharmacologically-tractable GPCR system (AM-CLR) in lymphatic development and identified its role in human hydrops fetalis mutations. Recent studies explore CGRP signaling in meningeal lymphatics and metabolic dysregulation in lacteal-null models.

Affiliations: Member of the UNC Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD) and contributor to interdisciplinary research at UNC.