The Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center will host Megan Rexius-Hall, an assistant professor of metabolic research at the U of A, at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, in ARKV 0002.

Rexius-Hall will discuss her work in developing biological microsystems with tight microfluidic oxygen control to improve understanding of how diverse oxygen landscapes affect intercellular communication and how this contributes to cardiovascular disease.

Abstract: Hypoxia is a potent regulator of cellular function and the foremost pathophysiological factor in ischemic conditions, playing a significant role in many cardiovascular disorders. However, most in vitro research neglects the non-uniform nature of tissue hypoxia, which is characterized by oxygen gradients. To date, the lack of adequate tools has prevented detailed investigation into how diverse oxygen landscapes affect intercellular communication or contribute to cardiovascular disease. To address this, Rexius-Hall's lab engineers biological microsystems with tight microfluidic oxygen control to study cell and tissue function in heterogeneous oxygen microenvironments. This approach recapitulates myocardial infarct border zones, ischemia-reperfusion injury and skeletal muscle affected by peripheral artery disease and aims to enhance preclinical models and provide mechanistic insight into human physiology and pathophysiology. 

Biography: Rexius-Hall is an assistant professor of metabolic research in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the U of A. She was previously a postdoctoral fellow in Megan McCain's laboratory in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, where she developed heart attack-on-a-chip technology. Rexius-Hall received her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Boston University and her Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Illinois Chicago. Prior to earning her Ph.D., she was employed as an associate engineer at CFD Research Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama. Rexius-Hall's research focuses on combining cell biology, materials science and microfabrication techniques to engineer microphysiological systems with integrated functional metrics. Her work has been recognized with an NIH NHLBI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) and AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship. Rexius-Hall envisions future research contributions using engineered microphysiological systems and in-depth functional and molecular analyses to uncover the mechanistic underpinnings of injury and disease states, identify druggable targets and conduct preclinical drug screening.

This event is supported by NIGMS of the National Institutes of Health under award number P20GM139768. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Pizza and beverages will be served. Please contact Kimberley Fuller, fullerk@uark.edu, for more information.

For those unable to attend in person, this seminar will also be available via Zoom.