Paul Lee

Program: Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Current advisor: Nathan Stitziel, MD, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of Pennsylvania, 2019

Enrollment year: 2020

Research summary
Investigating the role of SVEP1 in coronary artery disease

Coding variants in the extracellular matrix protein SVEP1 (Sushi, Von Willebrand Factor Type A, EGF And Pentraxin Domain Containing 1) have been associated with risk of coronary artery disease and platelet phenotypes in population studies, but the mechanism by which these variants modulates disease risk remain poorly understood. Previous work from the Stitizel lab has identified orphan receptor PEAR1 (Platelet Endothelial Aggregation Receptor 1) as a potential receptor for SVEP1 and has demonstrated that PEAR1 activation may result Akt-mediated proliferation in various cell types. My project will use translational approaches to further characterize the role of the SVEP1-PEAR1 axis in coronary artery disease.

Graduate publications
Lee PC, Jung IH, Thussu S, Patel V, Wagoner R, Burks KH, Amrute J, Elenbaas JS, Kang CJ, Young EP, Scherer PE, Stitziel NO. 2024 Instrumental variable and colocalization analyses identify endotrophin and HTRA1 as potential therapeutic targets for coronary artery disease. iScience, 27(7):110104.. PMCID: PMC11233907