Description of Research Expertise

Homeostasis in mucosal barrier tissues is maintained through complex interactions between resident cell types, the immune system and the microbiota. The overarching goal of my research is to understand why and how this balance is broken at the onset of chronic inflammatory, fibrotic and neoplastic processes, which may lead to an irreversible loss of tissue architecture and organ functionality. In this context, the mesenchymal microenvironment and its primary constituents, the extracellular matrix and the millions of fibroblasts that build it, is one of the most enigmatic areas of tissue biology today. The research of my laboratory focuses on the biology of recently discovered types of intestinal fibroblasts, which occupy specific niches within the tissue, have distinct transcriptional programs, but their function in physiology and in disease remains completely unknown. By integrating single cell studies in human tissues and in mice with functional analyses in mouse models, human organoids and organotypic systems, my laboratory aims to uncover specific cellular and molecular mechanisms through which fibroblasts control intestinal inflammation, fibrosis and tumorigenesis.