The endothelial glycocalyx: first line defense against cardiovascular disease
The current proposal aims to explore the possibility that perturbation of the endothelial cell glycocalyx by established cardiovascular risk factors contributes to the increased sensitivity of the arterial wall to the formation and progression of atherosclerotic lesions.

Role of insulin-mediated glycocalyx modulation in insulin sensitivity
In healthy individuals, glucose disposal from circulating blood to tissues is tightly regulated by insulin. Within minutes, insulin actively increases microvascular blood volume. We hypothesize that insulin-mediated modulation of the glycocalyx is critical for these vascular effects that initiate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle tissue.

Contribution of capillary glycocalyx volume modulation to local control of coronary flow
In the heart, coronary blood flow is tightly coupled to myocardial oxygen consumption. This project is aimed at studying whether controlled modulation of the access of circulating plasma to the glycocalyx in capillary blood vessels contributes to coronary blood flow regulation.