Understanding inflammation

Sriram Neelamegham, assistant professor of chemical engineering and codirector of the Center for Biomedical Engineering, directs his research to understand the mechanisms regulating leukocyte, platelet, and endothelial cell function in the human circulatory system. Such studies are important because ailments of the blood involving these cell types account for a sizable fraction of inflammatory and cardiovascular disorders. Our ability to control blood cell function during these diseases may allow us to significantly alleviate morbidity and mortality caused by these ailments.

The Neelamegham laboratory is particularly known for the application of fluid mechanics in the fields of cellular and molecular bioengineering. Studies in the laboratory have led to the identification of novel molecules involved in the progress of inflammatory ailments, and they have provided a better understanding of how multiple molecules belonging to various classes of adhesion molecules function in a coordinated fashion to regulate cell adhesion under the fluid flow conditions found in human blood vessels. Aspects of this research are also leading to the development of novel therapeutic strategies, especially those directed against the selectin family of adhesion molecules.

Research work in this laboratory is conducted in close collaboration with investigators at the UB medical school and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The work is presently supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Foundation, and the American Heart Association.