Mark Ormiston
Profile and Department: Scientist, Queens University
Research Interests:
Research in the Ormiston lab aims to (i) elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which circulating cells of the immune system influence vascular homeostasis and (ii) translate these discoveries into novel, cell-based immunotherapies for diseases of pathological vascular remodeling. This work is centered on the study of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a disease of obstructive vascular remodeling that is linked to immune dysfunction, both in its idiopathic form and in the setting of autoimmune diseases and viral infection. Our research also examines the strong association of PAH with loss-of-function mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II receptor (BMPR-II), a receptor of the transforming growth factor-b (TGFb) superfamily. Ongoing studies in the lab are examining the molecular mechanisms by which immune cell impairment contributes to the pathogenesis of PAH, as well as the impact of PAH-associated BMPR-II mutations on endothelial cell function