Research Component

The Section of Vascular Surgery, directed by Gregorio A. Sicard, M.D., is responsible for the Vascular Surgery Service and the non-invasive Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Research conducted by the Section of Vascular Surgery includes basic, translational and clinical investigations. Basic research in the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory involves studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that are focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of abdominal aortic aneurysms, led by Robert W. Thompson, M.D., and John A. Curci, M.D., and intimal hyperplasia, led by Eric T. Choi, M.D. Particular areas of interest in these laboratories are the role of inflammatory mediators, matrix-degrading proteinases, and smooth muscle cell apoptosis in these vascular diseases, using both human tissues and experimental animal models. In addition to achieving better understanding of vascular disease mechanisms, the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory is involved in pilot clinical studies aimed at the development and evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches.

Clinical research is another major interest in the Section of Vascular Surgery, with active and ongoing interests in the endovascular treatment of aneurysmal and occlusive arterial disease through studies led by Dr. Sicard, Brian G. Rubin, M.D., Luis A. Sanchez, M.D., and Patrick J. Geraghty, M.D. This team currently is participating in four separate trials of minimally invasive (endoluminal) treatment of vascular disease. The Section is also a major component of the Specialized Center for Clinically Oriented Research on Metabolic Syndrome and Vascular Disease at Washington University. This National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)-sponsored program supports clinical studies to define the influence of metabolic syndrome on aortic aneurysm disease, and provides a comprehensive Core infrastructure for conducting translational clinical studies in patients with aneurysms and other forms of vascular disease.

Faculty and Mentorship
Approach to Research Training
Facilities and Research Environment
Conferences

Faculty and Mentorship
Dr. Thompson serves as the primary mentor for the vascular surgery research fellows, surgical residents and students. Additional faculty members, including Dr. Eric Choi and Dr. John Curci, also undertake major efforts in basic research and thereby contribute to training in vascular surgery research. All three faculty members have external funding from NIH, the American Heart Association and/or the Pacific Vascular Research Foundation.

Through direct involvement and responsibility for individual research projects, vascular research trainees obtain sound practical experience in experimental design; in technical conduct of a variety of experimental procedures (ranging from methodologies employed in molecular and cell biology studies to the use of small animal models and histological/morphological techniques); in critical analysis of experimental results; in appropriate application of biostatistics; and in preparation of findings for oral presentation. Trainees also are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to critically review the scientific literature, to help prepare manuscripts for publication and to embark on the grant-writing process. It is expected that these individuals will thereby acquire a substantial appreciation for the investigative approaches, experimental tools and time-management skills needed to become accomplished scientific investigators. Our commitment to mentoring therefore extends beyond the experience in the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory to encourage and help trainees in their pursuit of investigative careers as academic vascular surgeons.

Approach to Research Training
One of the principal aims of the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory has been to provide an effective research-training environment for pre- and post-doctoral trainees interested in vascular disease, with an emphasis on current approaches using cell and molecular biology. These aims are met through direct involvement of research fellows and students in a variety of the projects, their interaction with basic scientists in collaborating laboratories, participation in seminars and journal clubs, preparation of work for local and national presentation, and competition for research funding. To accomplish effective training in modern approaches to scientific investigation, vascular fellows and other trainees are involved in research activities on a full-time basis, with no clinical responsibilities for the duration of their research experience (ranging from one to three years).

Facilities and Research Environment
The Section of Vascular Surgery utilizes laboratory space on the ninth floor of the Wohl Clinic building at Washington University Medical Center consisting of approximately 2,000 square feet of open laboratory and bench space and three laboratory offices. These facilities include sufficient space and equipment for all cellular and molecular biology studies, a histology and computerized microscope/morphology center, a vascular tissue bank and an area dedicated to small animal surgical procedures. State-of-the-art facilities are available for animal housing and veterinary care in the adjacent Clinical Sciences Research Building (CSRB). The Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory is located immediately adjacent to the Department of Surgery's Eugene M. Bricker Library and Auditorium. The laboratory maintains a comprehensive computational resource and database on the Department of Surgery computer server, which is directly accessible through all computers in the laboratory.

The ninth floor Wohl Clinic also serves as the site for the Vascular Surgery and Histopathology Core, part of our NIH-funded Specialized Center for Clinically-Oriented Research (SCCOR) program on vascular disease. This is the outgrowth of an NIH-funded program involving several different laboratories at Washington University. Interdisciplinary studies supported by the SCCOR involve collaboration between principal investigators in vascular surgery (Drs. Sicard, Thompson, Choi and Curci) and investigators in other areas such as Dr. Clay Semenkovich (Endocrine Division, Department of Medicine), Dr. Victor Davila-Roman (Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine) and Dr. Robert Mecham (Department of Cell Biology). The vascular surgery component of the SCCOR maintains a core facility that provides human tissue specimens to investigators for studies related to aneurysm disease, as well as the use of small animal models of aortic aneurysm especially for experimental applications to genetically altered mice. The Core also maintains facilities for molecular biology and histological/morphological studies and provides technical assistance.

Conferences
The Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory holds weekly laboratory meetings, serving as an opportunity to review data and progress on individual projects and to outline experimental plans for each week. Research fellows also meet with Drs. Thompson, Choi and/or Curci on a frequent basis to discuss data, troubleshoot problems and outline plans for future studies. The proximity of the Bricker Library and Auditorium provides a useful venue for preparing and practicing presentations.

Cardiovascular Research Seminars. The Cardiovascular Division (Department of Medicine) hosts a series of lectures/seminars on topics of interest to biomedical investigators in areas related to cardiovascular disease. These sessions are primarily aimed at trainees and include presentations on biostatistics, animal models and animal care, ethical considerations in research and grant writing. This program also includes visiting speakers who present new topics in cardiovascular research.

The Vascular Surgery/Interventional Radiology Conference is held each Tuesday and Thursday morning. This is a clinically oriented educational session in which actual cases are presented and discussed. Alternate weeks include a didactic session on a topic of interest. In the spring, each of the fellows and residents in the Vascular Surgery Research Laboratory has the opportunity to present his or her work at one of these conferences.

Washington University provides a vibrant scientific atmosphere with a host of regularly scheduled lectures, seminars and visiting speakers throughout the year. These presentations are organized through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, which publishes a weekly schedule of events. These opportunities are typically of interest to investigators and trainees from a wide variety of fields.