{"678672":{"#nid":"678672","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Sydney Ginn","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESydney Ginn\u003Cbr\u003EBME PhD Defense Presentation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate\u003C\/strong\u003E: 2024-12-12\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime\u003C\/strong\u003E: 9:00-11:00\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation \/ Meeting Link\u003C\/strong\u003E: HSRB II N100 Seminar Room; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emory.zoom.us\/j\/94864850528\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/emory.zoom.us\/j\/94864850528\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ERebecca Levit, MD (advisor); Michael Burke, MD; Brandon Dixon, PhD; Andres Garcia, PhD; Susan Thomas, PhD\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lymphatic Impairment Following Heart Transplantation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ELymphatics play a role in every vascularized organ yet are often overlooked in research as a potential therapeutic target. Their ability to modulate tissue homeostasis and immune cell trafficking holds promise in influencing a variety of disease states. Heart transplantation (HTx) is particularly intriguing as the lymphatic network is severed upon donor heart excision and not surgically reconstructed. The consequence resulting from severed lymphatic vessels in transplanted hearts is unknown. This thesis aimed to address gaps in cardiac lymphatic research from both a clinical and basic science perspective. Our clinical study investigated lymphatic variations in transplant patients with and without late graft dysfunction to assess the impact of lymphatics on metrics of transplant rejection and survival. These data correlated lower lymphatic areas to higher mortality in this patient population. Our findings validate lymphatics as a promising biomarker to evaluate mortality risks or even organs prior to procurement. We believe our work will not only stimulate new avenues of research in this field, but also inspire reflection on current surgical techniques, immune suppression, and organ procurement processes. The outcomes of our clinical study motivated us to do more detailed investigations through animal modeling. We established a heterotopic abdominal heart transplant model (HAHT) to assess longitudinal changes in lymphatic vasculature after HTx and its effect on graft function and survival. These data demonstrated significant increases in lymphatic number and luminal area for extended periods of time post-HAHT and some degree of functional lymphatic drainage at day 14. The period between day 14 and 28 was identified as a critical turning point in pathologic cardiac remodeling with vast therapeutic implications. These findings improve our understanding on lymphatic adaptations after HAHT but more importantly provide a characterized platform to study induced lymphangiogenic responses intended to rescue transplant function. Understanding pathologic conditions associated with lymphatic dysfunction in HTx will provide novel therapeutic targets that enhance the longevity of donor grafts and reduce mortality among the transplant community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGraduate Academic Office\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology \u0026amp; Emory University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELymphatic Impairment Following Heart Transplantation\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lymphatic Impairment Following Heart Transplantation"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2024-11-26 21:38:08","changed_gmt":"2024-11-26 21:38:32","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2024-12-12T09:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2024-12-12T23:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2024-12-12T23:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2024-12-12 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2024-12-13 04:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2024-12-13 04:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"HSRB II N100 Seminar ","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}