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Nov. 14, 2025
Why coronary arteries struggle to heal after surgery
Surgeons in the United States perform nearly 600,000 coronary artery stent procedures and bypass surgeries every year.
They are the most common cardiovascular operations, and yet many fail within a few years because treatment damages the endothelium — a microscopically thin layer of cells lining blood vessels. Healthy endothelial cells are crucial to healing and long-term success. Now, Scott Johnstone, assistant professor with Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and collaborators have identified a protein vital to the healing process. The study was published this month in Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
“For the first time in a living, functioning system, we understand pathways that are super important for endothelial wound healing to occur,” said Johnstone, who is part of the institute's Center for Vascular and Heart Research. “This is crucial when we’re thinking about drug treatments, to ensure we don’t interfere with the normal healing process.”
Campus news
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Virginia Tech, Children's National announce pilot award program , articleThe new program supports innovative team science research aimed at promoting collaborative, high-impact, federally funded research. Proposals are due by Dec. 1, 2025.
Creating a healthier future. For everyone.
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
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Redirect ItemABC News: Gut Check: The Foods We Eat , redirect Date: Nov 19, 2025 -
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VIDEOS
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Dissertation Defense: Targeting S1PR3 to Mitigate Flow-Enhanced Invasion in the Glioblastoma Tumor Microenvironment , homeDec. 4, 2025, 12 p.m. | Samantha Howerton | Graduate Student Dissertation Defense
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Dissertation Defense: PERM1-Mediated Metabolic Crosstalk Between the Heart and Skeletal Muscle in Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure , homeDec. 4, 2025, 1 p.m. | Rebekah Thomas Gusinac | Graduate Student Dissertation Defense
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2025 Health Sciences and Technology Hokie Pitch , homeDec. 5, 2025, 2 p.m. | G101 A/B, 4 Riverside Circle | 2025 Health Sciences and Technology Hokie Pitch
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The Metabolic Switch in Development and Degeneration , homeDec. 12, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Elizabeth Jonas, M.D., Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology), Yale School of Medicine | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Neurobiology Research
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Innovative Strategies for Overcoming Challenges in Brain Tumor Treatment , homeJan. 16, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Kristin Huntoon, Ph.D., D.O., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Cancer Research Center – Roanoke
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Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , homeJan. 22, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Holly Ingraham, Ph.D., Professor, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology; Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
Giving to the Research Institute
Your generous support of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's rigorous biomedical research enterprise makes a difference for our faculty, students, and patients. Every donation helps accelerate the pace of new discoveries to help patients with cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even rare genetic disorders. Private donations fast-track our progress.