Distinguished Lecture Series
“Flow and Matrix Mechanics Regulation of Endothelial Health: Mechanotransduction at the Glycocalyx Interface”
Eno Ebong, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology Northeastern University
Abstract: Mechanical forces generated by blood flow and transmitted through the vessel wall play a decisive role in cardiovascular health and disease. Endothelial cells, which form the inner lining of all blood vessels, rely on the endothelial glycocalyx, a nanoscale, gel‑like layer of sugars and proteins, to sense these forces and convert them into biochemical signals that maintain vascular stability. Disruption of this structure is increasingly recognized as a central driver of vascular dysfunction. To investigate how mechanical environments regulate glycocalyx integrity and endothelial behavior, engineered in vitro systems are combined with in vivo models. These experimental platforms integrate controlled fluid flow, tunable substrate stiffness, and mammalian endothelial cells to recreate protective and pathological mechanobiological conditions. This framework enables systematic examination of how stagnation or disturbed flow at vessel branch points, hypertension‑associated tissue stiffening, and other mechanical cues alter glycocalyx structure, mechanotransduction pathways, barrier function, vascular tone, and intercellular signaling. Results demonstrate that mechanical perturbations promote glycocalyx degradation, leading to breakdown of endothelial barrier integrity, dysregulation of vascular tone, and disruption of key signaling pathways. These mechanobiological changes accelerate atherosclerotic plaque development, increase cancer cell adhesion and transendothelial migration, and exacerbate vascular dysfunction implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Complementary in vivo studies confirm the physiological relevance of these findings. Overall, this body of work establishes the glycocalyx as a mechanically sensitive regulator of vascular health and a potential therapeutic target aimed at restoring endothelial function across cardiovascular, cancer, and neurological contexts.
Bio: Dr. Eno Ebong is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University, where she also serves as Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in Chemical Engineering. She directs the Ebong Mechanobiology Laboratory and is a Founding Steering Committee Member of the Northeastern University Institute for Mechanobiology. Dr. Ebong holds an S.B. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT (1999), and an M.Eng. (2001) and Ph.D. (2006) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She completed a NIH Cardiovascular Research Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2007-2012), where she was also jointly appointed at CUNY City College of New York. Dr. Ebong’s research focuses on endothelial cell mechanobiology, investigating how mechanical forces impact endothelial cells under normal and pathological conditions. Her work aims to understand the role of endothelial cells in cardiovascular diseases and other disorders related to vascular dysfunction. With over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers, 3 book chapters, 1 book, and 3,000 citations, her research has been supported by a significant portfolio of federal and industry funding. Dr. Ebong has received numerous honors, including the NSF CAREER Award (2019) and the NIH NHLBI K01 Award (2015). She was also named to the 2021 Class of Influential Researchers by Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. In 2025, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. government honor for early-career scientists and engineers.
For a zoom link please contact Kate Harrison at kharrison@wpi.edu