معرفی
Georgia Zarkada is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Connecticut (Storrs campus). Her work focuses on understanding endothelial cell behavior in vascular and lymphatic networks, with a goal to advance therapies for cardiovascular diseases. She leads the Zarkada Lab, which employs genetic mouse models, single-cell transcriptomics, biochemical methods, and advanced imaging techniques.
Education includes an MD from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School (Greece), a PhD from the University of Helsinki (Finland), and a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University Medical School’s Department of Cardiology & YCVRC.
Research interests emphasize developmental and pathological angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis, endothelial heterogeneity, neurovascular interactions, vascular permeability, and translational vascular medicine. Key topics include TGFβ signaling, VEGF/VEGFR pathways, and mechanisms governing vessel network formation.
Recent grants include a pilot study award from the Retina Research Foundation (2024) to develop retina-specific mouse models and a seed grant from UCONN’s COR²E (2023) to investigate lymphatic endothelial junction dynamics. The lab’s 2023 Circulation Research publication revealed chylomicron-driven cytoskeletal changes in intestinal villi via ROCK signaling.
Advising includes Melissa (Master’s thesis, 2025) and Julia (predoctoral AHA fellow, 2024). The lab actively pursues future directions in therapeutic development for vascular disorders and continues mechanistic studies in endothelial biology.
