My research focuses on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate cell fate decisions during cardiovascular development, injury, and disease. Our laboratory combines genetic lineage tracing, single-cell transcriptomics, and experimental models to investigate how these processes contribute to cardiovascular health and disease. One major area of our research examines the mechanisms that regulate immune cell differentiation following cardiac injury. We are particularly interested in understanding how monocytes acquire distinct cellular identities, the molecular pathways that control their differentiation into macrophage populations, and how these populations influence tissue repair and remodeling. A central focus of this work is the role of type I interferon signaling in regulating immune cell fate and function. A second area of our research investigates the genetic and developmental pathways involved in heart valve formation and disease. Using zebrafish and mouse models, along with human tissue, we study the role of Ccbe1 and its interacting proteins in valve development and the mechanisms that contribute to congenital and acquired valve disease. Together, these research directions aim to define how genetic and molecular pathways regulate cellular identity and function, and how disruption of these processes contributes to cardiovascular disease.