Department of Pharmacology
Publications
Dr. Nicholas Klug's Publications
Awards and Achievements
Research Grants
2023-2026 American Heart Association Career Development Award
2022 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Career Development Award
2020-2023 NIH F32 National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont, Early Career Research Award
2016-2017 Schwall Dissertation Year Fellowship in Medical Research
2014-2016 American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2014 NIH T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (declined in lieu of AHA Fellowship Funding)
Area(s) of expertise
Vascular Physiology
Capillary networks and have traditionally been viewed as passive sites for gas and nutrient exchange and waste removal. However, considering the vast area of the brain capillaries, which constitute ~90% of all vessels in the entire vascular landscape, the potential of these microvessels to serve sensory and signaling functions comes into sharp focus. Notably, their high density and close proximity to neurons ideally position capillaries to act as sensors of local signals from surrounding neurons and glia. Critically, a wide range of neurological disorders, including ischemic and hemorrhagic small vessel diseases, dementia, migraine, and age-related cognitive decline, exhibit deficits in cerebral blood flow. The enormity of the coverage area of brain capillaries, comprising pericytes and endothelial cells, can be more fully appreciated by direct visualization (see images below).
The brain vasculature can respond to neuronal and glial signals and regulate blood flow through the activation of various receptors and ion channels. However, our understanding of the repertoire of ion channels in pericytes and capillary endothelial cells and the properties governing the propagation and amplification of signals between these cells remains incomplete. This gap in our knowledge obscures our overall understanding of blood flow regulation in the brain and how diseases may affect blood flow and brain health, thus representing a fruitful research area for many years to come.
Publications
Awards and Achievements
Research Grants
2023-2026 American Heart Association Career Development Award
2022 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont Career Development Award
2020-2023 NIH F32 National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Fellowship
2019 Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont, Early Career Research Award
2016-2017 Schwall Dissertation Year Fellowship in Medical Research
2014-2016 American Heart Association Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2014 NIH T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (declined in lieu of AHA Fellowship Funding)
Areas of Expertise
Vascular Physiology
Capillary networks and have traditionally been viewed as passive sites for gas and nutrient exchange and waste removal. However, considering the vast area of the brain capillaries, which constitute ~90% of all vessels in the entire vascular landscape, the potential of these microvessels to serve sensory and signaling functions comes into sharp focus. Notably, their high density and close proximity to neurons ideally position capillaries to act as sensors of local signals from surrounding neurons and glia. Critically, a wide range of neurological disorders, including ischemic and hemorrhagic small vessel diseases, dementia, migraine, and age-related cognitive decline, exhibit deficits in cerebral blood flow. The enormity of the coverage area of brain capillaries, comprising pericytes and endothelial cells, can be more fully appreciated by direct visualization (see images below).
The brain vasculature can respond to neuronal and glial signals and regulate blood flow through the activation of various receptors and ion channels. However, our understanding of the repertoire of ion channels in pericytes and capillary endothelial cells and the properties governing the propagation and amplification of signals between these cells remains incomplete. This gap in our knowledge obscures our overall understanding of blood flow regulation in the brain and how diseases may affect blood flow and brain health, thus representing a fruitful research area for many years to come.