Anjelica Gonzalez

Anjelica Gonzalez serves as a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and part of the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program. Her research has focused on the development of biomimetic materials for use in investigation of immunology, inflammation and fibrosis.

Gonzalez has a dedicated interest in training the next generation of scientists to think in an interdisciplinary way and approach problems from a scientifically global perspective. With a multidisciplinary approach, the Gonzalez Lab combines organic chemistry, molecular biology, mathematics, computational modeling and image analysis to develop and use engineered scaffolds to dissect the chemo-mechanics of immunological processes. This work has led to significant advancement specific to an array of diseases and disorders, including vascular inflammation, stroke, fibrosis, and sepsis.

Gonzalez's translational research interests have led to the development of new technologies that are being deployed in underserved and low-infrastructure settings across the world. PremieBreathe, a low-cost, mobile neonatal respiratory device invented by Anjelica, has been supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and NCIIA/Venturewell for development and study deployment in Ethiopia.

• Elected, AIMBE College of Fellows (2020)
   
• Biomedical Engineering Society Diversity Award and Keynote Address (2018)
   
• USAID/Gates Foundation DevelopmentxChange Investor Pitch Competition Award Winner (2017)
   
• Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator (2015)
   
• Yale Provost’s Teaching Prize (2014)
   
• The Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award (2012)
   
• SEAS Dubinsky New Initiative Award (2012)
   
• NBC 10 Latino Innovators (2012)
   
• Newsweek/Womensphere Emerging Leaders Global Summit Speaker (2011)
   
• Keynote Address UCONN Summer Science Undergraduate Research Programs Closing Ceremonies (2009)

• Matta, R., Lee, S., Genet, N., Hirschi, K., Thomas JL., and AL Gonzalez. Minimally Invasive Delivery of Microbeads with Encapsulated, Viable and Quiescent Neural Stem Cells to the Adult Subventricular Zone. Scientific Reports. 2019. PMCID: PMC6882840
   
• Korde A, Ahangari F, Haslip M, Zhang X, Liu Q, Chn L, Gomez-Villalobos J, Chupp G, Pober JS, Gonzalez AL, Takyar S. An endothelial microRNA-1 regulated network controls eosinophil trafficking in asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2019. PMID: 32035607
   
• Pellowe AS, Sauler M, Hou Y, Merola J, Liu R, Calderon B, Lauridsen HM, Harris MR, Leng L, Zhang Y, Tilstam PV, Pober JS, Bucala R, Lee PJ and Gonzalez AL.  Endothelial cell-secreted MIF reduces pericyte contractility and enhances neutrophil extravasation. FASEB J. 2019 Feb;33(2):2171-2186. doi: 10.1096/fj.201800480R. Epub 2018 Sep 25. PMCID: PMC6338650
   
• Lauridsen HM and Gonzalez AL. Biomimetic, ultrathin and elastic hydrogels regulate human neutrophil extravasation across endothelial-pericyte bilayers. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0171386.  doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0171386. 2017. PMCID: PMC5325185
   
• Lauridsen HM, Pellowe A, Ramanathan A, Liu R, Miller-Jensen K, McNiff JM, Pober JS, Gonzalez AL. TNFα and IL-17A-activation induces pericyte-mediated basement membrane remodeling in human neutrophilic dermatoses. American Journal of Pathology. Jun 10. 2017. PMCID: PMC5530916
   
• Pellowe A, Lauridsen H, Matta R, Gonzalez AL. Ultrathin porated elastic hydrogels as a biomimetic basement membrane for dual cell culture. Journal of Visual Experimentation. 2017. PMCID: PMC5908371
   
• Ryu C*, Sun H*, Gulati M*, Herazo-Maya JD, Chen Y, Osafo-Addo A, Brandsdorfer C, Winkler J, Blaul C, Faunce J, Pan H, Woolard T, Tzouvelekis A, Antin-Ozerkis DE, Puchalski JT, Slade M, Gonzalez AL, Bogenhagen DF, Kirillov V, Feghali-Bostwick C, Gibson K, Lindell K, Herzog RI, Dela Cruz CS, Mehal W, Kaminski N, Herzog EL*, Trujillo G*. Extracellular mitochondrial DNA is generated by fibroblasts and predicts death in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis AJRCCM, 2017 Dec 15;196(12):1571-1581. PMCID: PMC5754440
   
• Sava P, Ramanathan A, Dobronyi A, Peng X, Sun H, Ledesma-Mendoza A, Herzog EL, and AL Gonzalez. Human pericytes adopt myofibroblast properties in the microenvironment of the IPF lung. JCI Insight. December 21, 2017. PMCID: PMC5752282