Dr. Beth L Roman, PhD

Dr. Roman is a developmental biologist and molecular geneticist. She received her postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health and was an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University (2002-2006) and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences (2006-2014). She is currently Research Director for the UPMC/University of Pittsburgh HHT Center of Excellence.

The Roman lab studies the autosomal dominant genetic disorder, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), which is caused by decreased endothelial bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and is characterized by a predisposition to development of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). AVMs are direct connections between arteries and veins that can lead to hemorrhage or stroke if severe shunting or rupture occurs. The Roman lab uses zebrafish models of HHT and molecular, genetic, advanced imaging, and biochemistry approaches to uncover the molecular and cellular errors that lead to AVM development. Out ultimate goal is to develop therapeutics that specifically target HHT.

Research Interests: Vascular development, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, zebrafish, BMP signaling, mechanotransduction.

1989 | The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA  |  BS Biochemistry

2010-2011               MSTP 5010          Professional Development I: Molecular Medicine 

Park, S.O, Lee, Y.J., Seki, T., Hong, K.H., Fleiss, N., Jiang, Z., Park, A., Wu, X., Kaartinen, V., Roman, B.L., and Oh, S.P. (2008). ALK5- and TGFBR2-independent role of ALK1 in the pathogenesis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 2.  Blood 111, 633-642. PMCID: PMC2200847.

Anderson, M.J., Pham, V.N., Vogel, A.M., Weinstein, B.M., and Roman, B.L. (2008). Loss of unc45a precipitates arteriovenous shunting in the aortic arches.  Devel. Biol. 318, 258-267. PMCID: PMC2483962.

Laux, D.W., Febbo, J.A., and Roman, B.L. (2011). Dynamic Analysis of BMP-Responsive Smad Activity in Live Zebrafish Embryos. Devel. Dyn. 240, 682-694. PMCID: PMC4287217.

Corti, P., Young, S., Chen, C.Y., Patrick, M.J., Rochon, E.R., Pekkan, K., and Roman, B.L.  (2011). Interaction between alk1 and blood flow in the development of arteriovenous malformations. Development 138, 1573-1582. PMCID: PMC3062425.

Fujita, M., Cha, Y., Pham, V.N., Sakurai, A., Roman, B.L., Gutkind, J.S.,  and Weinstein, B.M. (2011). Assembly and patterning of the vascular network of the vertebrate hindbrain.  Development 138, 1705-1715. PMCID: PMC3074447.

Roman, B.L. and Pekkan, K. (2012). Mechanotransduction in embryonic vascular development.  Biomech. Mod. Mechanobiol. 11, 1149-1168.

Laux, D.W., Young, S., Donovan J.P., Mansfield, C.J., Upton, P.D., and Roman, B.L. (2013). Circulating Bmp10 acts through endothelial Alk1 to mediate flow-dependent arterial quiescence. Development 140, 3403-3412. PMCID: PMC3737721.

Wooderchuk-Donahue, W.L., McDonald, J., O’Fallon, B., Upton, P.D., Li, W., Roman, B.L., Young, S., Plant, P., Fulop, G., Langa, C., Morrell, N.W., Botella, L.M., Bernabeu, C., Stevenson, D.A., Runo, J.R., and Bayrak-Toydemir, P. (2013). BMP9 mutations cause a vascular anomaly syndrome with phenotypic overlap with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Am. J. Hum. Gen. 93, 530-537. PMCID: PMC3769931.

Roman, B. and Finegold, D.N. (2015). Genetic and Molecular Basis for Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia. Current Genet. Med. Rep. 3, 35-47.

Rochon, E.R., Wright, D.S.,Schubert, M.M., and Roman, B.L. (2015). Context-specific interactions between Notch and ALK1 cannot explain ALK1-associated arteriovenous malformations. Cardiovasc. Res. 107, 143-152. PMID 25969392.

Arthur, H., Geisthoff, U., Gossage, J.R., Hughes, C.C., Lacombe, P., Meek, M.E., Oh, P., Roman, B.L., Tretola, S.O., Velthuis, S., and Wooderchak-Donahue, W. (2015). Executive summary of the 11th HHT international scientific conference. Angiogenesis 18, 511-524. PMID 26391603.

Rochon, E.R., Menon, P.G., and Roman, B.L. (2016). Alk1 controls arterial endothelial cell migration in lumenized tubes. Development 143, 2593-2602. PMID 27287800.