Andreea Trache

Dr. Andreea Trache is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Physiology and Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University. She holds affiliations within the School of Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on cellular responses to mechano-chemical stresses, integrating physics, engineering, and biology to study live cell dynamics, intracellular signaling, and mechanotransduction. Her lab develops advanced microscopy techniques, including atomic force microscopy and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, to observe real-time cellular behavior in response to mechanical forces.

Dr. Trache's education includes a B.S. in Physics from the University of Bucharest (1989) and a Ph.D. in Physics from the Institute of Atomic Physics, Romania (1996). She has been recognized with the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for her innovative work. Her research interests span experimental biophysics, biomechanics, and vascular physiology, particularly emphasizing live vascular cells as models to study mechanosensing and adhesion dynamics.

Key research themes include understanding how mechanical forces influence cell behavior, such as contraction, migration, and adhesion. Her lab investigates the molecular mechanisms behind cytoskeletal force balance and the role of integrins in mechanotransduction. Techniques like single-cell imaging under mechanical stimulation are central to her work, revealing transient biological events masked in macroscopic studies.

Lab members include Malea Murphy (PhD, Research Specialist) and Samuel V. Padgham (Technician III). Dr. Trache’s publications span vascular aging, atherosclerosis mechanisms, and the development of microscopy tools for mechanobiology. Her work bridges fundamental biophysical principles with translational applications in cardiovascular health and disease.