Dr Anne Lagendijk

Senior Research Fellow - GL

Institute for Molecular Bioscience
a.lagendijk@imb.uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 62105

Overview

Research Interests

  • Cellular mechanisms to maintain a healthy vasculature
    Our vascular system transports approximately 7500 liters of blood each day. Arteries deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body after which the venous system returns the deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Architecturally, these blood vessels are extremely heterogeneous. The Lagendijk group investigates the development and maintenance of a functional blood vessel network in zebrafish and bioengineered human microvessels. The cells that make up our blood vessels continuously adapt their size, adhesiveness and compliance order to ensure the right balance between vessel integrity and permeability in a context dependent manner. Mechanical cues play a major role in the functional adaptation of blood vessels. Despite ongoing research unraveling the structural components of mechanical hubs in the cells, it is essential to assess the magnitude of forces that are transduced at these sites and the biological consequences for vessel function. Dr. Lagendijk has previously developed a VE-cadherin tension biosensor line in zebrafish. This line provides the first vertebrate model that reports intra-molecular tension and was utilised to identify changes in junctional organisation and VE-cadherin tension that occur as arteries mature and revealed molecular pathways that allow for this maturation to happen. In addition, the lab has established disease models for vascular malformations that are known to lead to neurological deficits and stroke. Modelling in zebrafish allows analyses of the initiating mechanisms of these vascular pathologies at unprecedented cellular and subcellular resolution.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Utrecht University

Publications

  • Yordanov, Teodor E., Keyser, Mikaela S., Enriquez Martinez, Marco A., Esposito, Tyron, Tefft, Juliann B., Morris, Elysse K., Labzin, Larisa I., Stehbens, Samantha J., Rowan, Alan E., Hogan, Benjamin M., Chen, Christopher S., Lauko, Jan and Lagendijk, Anne K. (2024). Hyaluronic acid turnover controls the severity of cerebral cavernous malformations in bioengineered human micro-vessels. APL Bioengineering, 8 (1). doi: 10.1063/5.0159330

  • Morris, Elysse, Daignault-Mill, Sheena, Ju, Robert J, da Silva, Jason, Gordon, Emma, Wainwright, Brandon, Stehbens, Samantha, Genovesi, Laura and Lagendijk, Anne (2023). MDB-42. UNCOVERING DYNAMIC CHANGES IN MEDULLOBLASTOMA ASSOCIATED VASCULATURE IN ZEBRAFISH. Neuro-Oncology, 25 (Supplement_1), i71-i71. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noad073.274

  • Grimm, Lin, Mason, Elizabeth, Yu, Hujun, Dudczig, Stefanie, Panara, Virginia, Chen, Tyrone, Bower, Neil I., Paterson, Scott, Rondon Galeano, Maria, Kobayashi, Sakurako, Senabouth, Anne, Lagendijk, Anne K., Powell, Joseph, Smith, Kelly A., Okuda, Kazuhide S., Koltowska, Katarzyna and Hogan, Benjamin M. (2023). Single‐cell analysis of lymphatic endothelial cell fate specification and differentiation during zebrafish development. The EMBO Journal, 42 (11) e112590, e112590. doi: 10.15252/embj.2022112590

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Supervision

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • Our group aims to understand how our blood vessel network is established during embryonic development and how its function is maintained during life. The development of an aberrant vessel network contributes to a range of cardio-vascular diseases. For example leaky vessels in the brain can cause stroke. In the lab we employ the zebrafish as a model organism since zebrafish embryos are viable ex utero and can be imaged at extremely high resolution which gives us a unique, live, view of vascular development. We make use of existing and novel biosensors in zebrafish to reveal dynamics of adhesion complexes at the cell-cell and cell-matrix interface whilst also examining distribution of tension at these mechanical hubs. By combining these high-end imaging approaches with detailed, innovative molecular genetics approaches, like CRISPR mutagenesis, we explore the fundamental importance of cell-matrix adhesion in vascular biology. We complement this in vivo modelling with analysis of bioengineered human micro-vessels. This adaptable system allows us to detail the impact of physical cues by the environment and by blood flow.

    PhD projects include:

    - The role of neuropeptides in establishing and maintaining blood vessels in zebrafish and 3D bioengineered human vessels.

    - Using CRISPR mutagenesis to uncover novel players that drive a vascular disease that can cause stroke.

    - Modelling how the brain vasculature impacts on brain tumors growth and cancer treatment using zebrafish models.

    - Profiling changes in tension across wild-type and mutant forms of the adhesion protein VE-cadherin using in vivo live imaging.

    - The impact of cell-matrix interactions on vascular growth in zebrafish mutant models.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Our group aims to understand how our blood vessel network is established during embryonic development and how its function is maintained during life. The development of an aberrant vessel network contributes to a range of cardio-vascular diseases. For example leaky vessels in the brain can cause stroke. In the lab we employ the zebrafish as a model organism since zebrafish embryos are viable ex utero and can be imaged at extremely high resolution which gives us a unique, live, view of vascular development. We make use of existing and novel biosensors in zebrafish to reveal dynamics of adhesion complexes at the cell-cell and cell-matrix interface whilst also examining distribution of tension at these mechanical hubs. By combining these high-end imaging approaches with detailed, innovative molecular genetics approaches, like CRISPR mutagenesis, we explore the fundamental importance of cell-matrix adhesion in vascular biology. We complement this in vivo modelling with analysis of bioengineered human micro-vessels. This adaptable system allows us to detail the impact of physical cues by the environment and by blood flow.

    PhD projects include:

    - The role of neuropeptides in establishing and maintaining blood vessels in zebrafish and 3D bioengineered human vessels.

    - Using CRISPR mutagenesis to uncover novel players that drive a vascular disease that can cause stroke.

    - Modelling how the brain vasculature impacts on brain tumors growth and cancer treatment using zebrafish models.

    - Profiling changes in tension across wild-type and mutant forms of the adhesion protein VE-cadherin using in vivo live imaging.

    - The impact of cell-matrix interactions on vascular growth in zebrafish mutant models.