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Osama Harraz

@osamaharraz.bsky.social
986 followers 959 following 81 posts

Assistant Professor, Bloomfield Professor in Cardiovascular Research - decoding the complexity of vascular physiology and blood flow control, one ion channel at a time. Univ. of Vermont www.HarrazLab.com

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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 4h
🧠Hypertension changes how brain blood vessels sense mechanical forces. Overactive Piezo1 disrupts cerebral blood flow and cognition, while Piezo1 inhibition reverses these deficits in mice. Congratulations to the team and collaborators! ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/... @ahascience.bsky.social
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Tanisha Jackson @tanisha-jackson.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
One of the things I love about working in science philanthropy is seeing the people and curiosity behind discovery. Scientists aren’t just advancing knowledge. They can also help connect science to the people and communities it serves. youtu.be/3ZqvrlIuB0Q?...
youtu.be
The Hidden Connection Between Harmful Algae Blooms and Human Health
YouTube video by Pew
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Ishmail Abdus-Saboor @ishmailsaboor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Excited to see our fMRI paper is out, led by Itamar Kahn’s lab. Our grad students, Amir Lawen and Bella Succi, in collab with Darcy Peterka, built a setup for simultaneous fMRI and dopamine fiber photometry in awake behaving mice. We learned some new biology too. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Dopamine release-associated striatal blood oxygenation and whole-brain dynamics during associative learning
Dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is central to reward-based learning, but its relationship to brain-wide hemodynamics remains unclear. Using concurrent fMRI and dopamine photometr...
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Mohammed Khallaf @khallaf.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Our new paper is out in @nature.com! We uncovered how a naked mole-rat queen 👑 controls an entire colony: a natural contraceptive scent that suppresses reproduction in other females! A remarkable mammalian parallel to bees and ants! 🐝🐜 @garyrlewin.bsky.social youtu.be/enfv3zJrWKM?...
youtu.be
Naked mole-rats are ruled by a queen: this chemical puts her in power
YouTube video by nature video
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Ishmail Abdus-Saboor @ishmailsaboor.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Finally!! So happy for my colleague and buddy @deisseroth.bsky.social!!
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 02/10/2026
An analysis of two of the 14 remaining cubes of uranium from the German WWII nuclear project, along with historical records, reveals that the Nazis wouldn’t have been able to create a working bomb with the materials available to them. In PNAS Nexus: ow.ly/x7hS50ZU2Ne
A cube of natural uranium from the German nuclear project.
CREDIT: John T. Consoli, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD.
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Ishmail Abdus-Saboor @ishmailsaboor.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Excited to share my lab’s latest preprint led by postdoc @yukihaba.bsky.social and grad student Ryan Schwark. We surprisingly find that spontaneous behavior in isolation predicts a naked mole-rat’s identity, its colony membership, and even rank within its colony. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Tanisha Jackson @tanisha-jackson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Congratulations to Charles Zuker, Pew Latin American Fellows Program advisor, on receiving the 2026 Wolf Prize in Medicine, recognizing his research on taste and sensory perception!
zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu
Wolf Prize in Medicine Goes to Neuroscientist Charles Zuker
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Denise J. Cai, Ph.D. @denisejcai.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
NEW: The anterior hypothalamic nucleus acts like a volume knob for stress, scaling the brain’s response to threatening events 🧠 Read the Cai Lab's latest paper, led by @zachtpennington.bsky.social, in @nature.com 🎉 www.nature.com/articles/s41... More: bsky.app/profile/did:...
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Insanely amazing! Whole body calcium imaging ⚡️⚡️🐠
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
😅
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Geoanna M. Bautista, M.D. @geoannabautista.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Mechanosensation isn't just at the cell surface. In gut smooth muscle, we found that Piezo1 is mostly intracellular, <40 nm from RyR and BK channels. Activating it hyperpolarizes cells and weakens contraction- like a molecular brake. Stay tuned for more to come! J Physiol: doi.org/10.1113/JP29...
doi.org
Intracellular mechanosensation in intestinal smooth muscle: Piezo1 complexes amplify signalling beyond the surface
Abstract figure legend Mechanosensation is not confined to the cell surface. In intestinal smooth muscle Piezo1 is predominantly intracellular (86%), where it forms a nanoscale (<40 nm) complex at th...
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Check out our latest article! Tau and ion channels (Piezo1 and Kir2.1) in brain capillaries.
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Biophysical Journal @biophysj.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
#OPENACCESS: Tau protein differentially affects Piezo1 and Kir2.1 channels in brain capillary endothelial cells. Trevor Harriman and Osama F. Harraz. buff.ly/RZnqLJd
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Don't miss this!
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Don't miss this!
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Jorge Castorena @jcastorena.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Our newest study is now published. Here we show that GLP-1Rs are expressed in the lymphatic vasculature and enriched in LECs. And pharmacological activation by semaglutide enhances the pumping capacity of collectors. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
GLP‐1 Receptors Are Enriched in the Lymphatic Endothelium and Their Pharmacological Activation With Semaglutide Improves the Pumping Capacity of Lymphatic Vessels
Objectives Recent clinical studies have suggested that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists may be effective therapies to treat or reduce the risk of developing secondary lymphedema. I.....
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Pew Latin American Fellows Program: Remarkable opportunity for Latin America🌎researchers to pursue postdoctoral training in the US. ➡️ If you consider applying and your interests connect with ours (www.HarrazLab.com), I’d be glad to explore if I could serve as a sponsor. www.pew.org/en/projects/...
pew.org
Pew Latin American Fellows
The Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides support for young scientists from Latin America to receive postdoctoral training in the United States. The program gives thes...
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APS Publications @apspublications.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Check out this great review by Osama Harraz et al., Brain Capillary Ion Channels: Physiology and Channelopathies ➡️ ow.ly/Jenc50YCOSA #BrainCapillaries #IonChannels
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Pablo J. Sáez @pjsaez.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Very hot from the press ! Almost every topic we work in: #IonChannels #Leukocytes #CalciumSignaling T cell response depends on target-cell stifness to drive Piezo1- Orai1 membrane channels activation, softening of tumours prevents this response. Full www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... @science.org
science.org
T cell polarization and NFAT activation are stiffness dependent and differentially regulated by the channels PIEZO1 and ORAI1
Target stiffness influences T cell polarization and gene expression through distinct Ca2+ channels.
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Science X / Phys.org @sciencex.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Activation of the Piezo1 ion channel in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease restored brain blood flow and improved neurovascular function, suggesting potential for future therapeutic strategies. doi.org/hbnvgf
medicalxpress.com
Preclinical study successfully reverses loss of blood flow to brain, an early sign of Alzheimer's disease
Supriya Chakraborty might have been studying insects in a lab had it not been for an immunology college instructor in India who taught him about the superheroes inside him—immune cells that wage a battle against bacteria, parasites, and a host of other adversaries that invade our bodies.
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Eric Mulhall @ericmulhall.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Very excited to share our new manuscript – published today! Why are PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are tuned to transduce different types of mechanical force? I was lucky to work with some extraordinary colleagues to begin to figure out why. www.nature.com/articles/s41... An overview of the results below ⬇️ ⬇️
nature.com
The molecular basis of force selectivity by PIEZO2 - Nature
PIEZO2 is intrinsically more rigid than PIEZO1, and disparate mechanical stimuli paradoxically evoke opposite conformational and gating responses in each channel.
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Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 04/03/2026
New paper from the lab led by @ericmulhall.bsky.social addresses how PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are tuned to different types mechanical forces. From nanometer-scale super-resolution microscopy to in vivo experiments, links single-molecule observations to physiological function. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
The molecular basis of force selectivity by PIEZO2
Nature - PIEZO2 is intrinsically more rigid than PIEZO1, and disparate mechanical stimuli paradoxically evoke opposite conformational and gating responses in each channel.
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I am delighted to host Dr. Stephen Liberles @harvardmed.bsky.social @hhmi-science.bsky.social as he presents the Pharmacology Department Seminar today April 9th at the @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social @uvmvermont.bsky.social “Mechanisms of body-brain communication”
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Mesmerizing 🧠!
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The Journal of Physiology @jphysiol.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
This recent study by Bianca Barreira of @ucm.es et al. investigates functional expression of inwardly rectifying and ATP-sensitive #potassium channels in human #pulmonary artery smooth muscle and endothelial cells 🔬 🫀 📜 Read the #Research: physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Check out this review on brain 🧠capillary ion channels in health and disease… a topic that has evolved (and continues to grow) dramatically over the past decade.🗓️📅
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Nimrat Chatterjee @nimratchatterjee.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Please join us on February 24th for our next installment of the graduate students' CMB seminar! There will be excellent talks and discussions!! @devdoot.bsky.social @uvmcmb.bsky.social @msymeonides.bsky.social @karenglasslab.bsky.social @wargolab.bsky.social @osamaharraz.bsky.social
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
PIP2 corrects an endothelial Piezo1 channelopathy | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
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APS Publications @apspublications.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
🧠🆕Review article: "Brain Capillary Ion Channels: Physiology and Channelopathies." Osama F. Harraz and Ahmed M. Hashad ow.ly/MUCH50YbM0p. #BrainCapillaries #CerebralBloodFlow
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Journal of General Physiology @jgp.org · 02/02/2026
📣 #CallForPapers 📣 on the topic of the inaugural in-person Electrophysiology & Ion Channel (EpIC) meeting, “Emerging Research on Ion Channels in Health & Disease” – w/ Guest Editors Jelena Baranovic, @osamaharraz.bsky.social, Conor McClenaghan, & Lejla Zubcevic 👉 rupress.org/JGP/pages/ca...
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Journal of General Physiology @jgp.org · 08/08/2025
📣 #CallForPapers 📣 Submit your research on the topic of the inaugural in-person Electrophysiology & Ion Channel (EpIC) meeting, “Emerging Research on #IonChannels in Health & Disease” – w/ Guest Editors Jelena Baranovic, Osama Harraz, Conor McClenaghan & Lejla Zubcevic 👉 rupress.org/JGP/pages/ca...
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Hao Yin @haoyin.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Leukocyte stalling in 🐭Retinal microvasculature 2PM In 20 s, "~7% tracked leukocytes stalled for at least one time along their path", up to 9 stalls 87% stalls occur at vessel junctions, where 71% occupied with #Pericyte ⏫RBC flow irregularity #JCBFM 2025 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
😖
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Dementia Researcher @dementiaresearcher.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
My Name is Doddie Foundation Catalyst Awards 2026 are now open. Funding bold early stage MND research ideas with up to £100k to generate data and open new treatment pathways. www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/funding/my-n...
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
This work wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of all authors and the support from The NIH, @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social, @ahajournals.bsky.social, @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social, @uvmvermont.bsky.social, and the Bloomfield Professorship.
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
💡GPCR signaling amplifies Piezo1 mechanotransduction, potentially representing a general mechanism beyond the brain endothelium. 💡PIP₂ normalizes overactive Piezo1 in genetic and disease contexts, improving endothelial function and highlighting new therapeutic strategies.
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Led by a talented former postdoc, Ahmed Hashad, with key contributions from Mohammad Elmahdy, Xin Rui Lim and Natalia Mathieu, our study uncovers new biology at the intersection of mechanotransduction, GPCR signaling, and regulation of ion channels.
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
🎉 New Publication in @pnas.org Excited to share our lab’s latest research article: PIP₂ Corrects an Endothelial Piezo1 Channelopathy pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... (Open Access)
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Science X / Phys.org @sciencex.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Restoring levels of the phospholipid PIP₂ may help normalize brain blood flow and reduce symptoms in vascular dementia by regulating the activity of the Piezo1 protein.
medicalxpress.com
Key phospholipid points to potential treatment for vascular dementia
A possible new treatment for impaired brain blood flow and related dementias is on the horizon. Research by scientists at the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine provides novel insights into the mechanisms that regulate brain blood flow and highlights a potential therapeutic strategy to correct vascular dysfunction.
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adamezracohen.bsky.social @adamezracohen.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
When a larval zebrafish twitches its tail, the vascular endothelium lights up with a calcium signal, mediated by Piezo1. We used to think mechanosensing in endothelial cells was about sensing blood flow, but at least in this case it's about sensing body motion.
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John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Grateful to @pewtrusts.org for funding our snow fly work, in collaboration with Sebastian Brauchi at Universidad Austral de Chile. We are now looking for post-docs to work on the biophysical mechanisms that allow snow fly neurons and muscles to function below zero. newsroom.uw.edu/news-release...
newsroom.uw.edu
Most insects slow down in bitter cold. Not snow flies. - UW Medicine | Newsroom
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
This work couldn't be possible without funding 💵from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to the Bracko and Harraz labs. @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social @uvmvermont.bsky.social
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
💊Our findings suggest Piezo1 (likely non-vascular Piezo1) as a therapeutic target to address early cerebrovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. 🙏Grateful to all trainees who made this possible (Zeynab Tabrizi, @xinruilimemily1.bsky.social, Supriya Chakraborty).
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
💡 Key highlights: - Using in vivo imaging, we demonstrate impaired brain capillary blood flow and neurovascular coupling in an Alzheimer’s mouse model. - Systemic activation of the mechanosensor Piezo1 improved cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer’s disease mice.
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
🧵Excited to share our work with the Bracko @bloodflowlab.bsky.social lab published in Alzheimer's & Dementia @alzassociation.bsky.social : Systemic Piezo1 activation improves cerebrovascular function in Alzheimer’s disease 🔗https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.71016
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The Larner College of Medicine @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
#UVMLarnerMed research publication alert! #Brainresearch by authors Osama Harraz, Ph.D., and Ahmed Hashad, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health. @uvmvermont.bsky.social @apspublications.bsky.social
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Osama Harraz @osamaharraz.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Excited to share the latest from our lab (final version, open access): Brain Capillary Ion Channels: Physiology and Channelopathies Physiology | @apspublications.bsky.social journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.... @uvmlarnermed.bsky.social
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Cordero-Vásquez Lab @cvlab.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Our new Journal of Neuroscience paper "Cofilin Inhibition Ameliorates PIEZO2 and AMPA Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Angelman Syndrome (AS)” is out: www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4... 1/6
jneurosci.org
Cofilin Inhibition Ameliorates PIEZO2 and AMPA Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Angelman Syndrome
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by motor coordination and cognitive deficits. In AS, hippocampal neurons show reduced filamentous (F-)actin, a decrease we also reported...
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Cordero-Vásquez Lab @cvlab.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UTHealth Houston has an open search for a tenure-track faculty position. If you are ready (or know someone that is) to start looking for positions, this will be a great opportunity to join the Texas Medical Center. See flyer below. 1/2
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