Dr. Vas Narayanaswami, April 2026 Snapshot
Dr. Vasanthy (Vas) Narayanaswami, a professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, focuses on investigating the role of apoliopoprotein E (apoE), a major cholesterol transport protein that plays a critical role in cardiovascular and Alzheimer's diseases. Students in her research group study the mechanisms of cholesterol transport in high density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly referred to as 'the good cholesterol,' with particular reference to the blood brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a tightly regulated 'check post' that protects the brain from external harm and toxicity.
Dr. Vas employs a powerful combination of biochemical, biophysical, and cell biological approaches to understand events occurring at the neurovascular junction, the findings from which have potential to aid in devising therapeutic intervention strategies to treat Alzheimer's and other cerebrovascular diseases.
Building on their experience and expertise with the lipoproteins and inspired by the versatile role of HDL, Dr. Vas and her research group have developed the use of HDL for transporting biomolecules that are poorly soluble in water (hydrophobic), assembling purified recombinant apoE with commercially available pure lipids to obtain reconstituted synthetic HDL. These nanodiscs serve as excellent platforms to embed and transport hydrophobic molecules, and to target them to specified sites at the cellular level.
Further work is in progress to refine the targeting ability of cargo-loaded nanodiscs like a homing device or beacon to treat rare disorders.
