We study the different mechanisms which make a special kind of artery called COLLATERAL ARTERY. Collateral arteries are special because unlike any other artery, they build a connection between two distinct arterial trees and hence sense blood flow from both directions. Collaterals are present in the heart and brain and are life-saving blood vessels in situations where an artery is blocked. There are many hypotheses about what triggers collateral development in an organ or how they form. We use an array of cellular and molecular biology techniques to test these hypotheses. We use mouse genetics, experimental injury models, live imaging, transcriptomics and in vitro as well as in vivo functional assays to understand the complex process of collateral artery development and its contribution to tissue regeneration. 

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