In this webinar, Dr. William J. Polacheck, PhD presents how his lab develops microfluidic and organ-on-chip technology for disease modeling. This presentation focuses on lymphatic and vascular malformations specially:
- Using microfluidics to mimic blood and lymphatic vessels in vitro
- Investigating how PIK3CA mutations alter cell behavior and lesion progression
- Exploring the role of mechanical forces, flow, and shear stress in vascular and lymphatic malformations
- Screening drug responses (including rapamycin and alpelisib) using patient-relevant models
- Potential applications for drug delivery and future personalized therapies This presentation highlights how engineering tools can be applied to rare disease research, offering new insights for scientists, clinicians, and patients alike.
Speaker Bio: Dr. William Polacheck is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at UNC–Chapel Hill and NC State. His research focuses on organ-on-chip technology, disease modeling, and drug screening for vascular and lymphatic diseases. He has received the Young Innovator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society and the Miro Award from NIH.
Presented by: The Lymphangiomatosis & Gorham’s Disease Alliance (LGDA) and the Lymphatic Malformation Institute (LMI) as part of our ongoing research webinar series.
