Victor D. Varner

This study identifies biomechanical stiffening and fibrotic remodeling as hallmarks of early-onset colorectal cancer, showing their role in tumor initiation.

This paper shows that Lats1/2 are essential for vascular remodeling and response to shear stress in embryonic endothelial cells, leading to vascular defects and embryonic lethality.

This study identifies distinct transcriptional profiles of cultured corneal keratocytes, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts, revealing genes and pathways involved in their differentiation and potential therapeutic targets.

The paper uses photocrosslinking to alter tissue stiffness in embryonic lungs and shows it inhibits epithelial budding morphogenesis.

This study shows that treatment with both TGF-β1 and PDGF-BB disrupts stiffness-dependent myofibroblast differentiation of corneal keratocytes, decoupling molecular markers from contractile behavior.