Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD
Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases)Cards
About
Titles
Professor of Medicine (Digestive Diseases)
Biography
Dr. Yasuko Iwakiri is a Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine whose research focuses on how vascular and lymphatic systems regulate liver health and disease. Her laboratory studies liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, hepatic lymphatic vessels, and neuro-vascular niches that coordinate immune responses, inflammation, and tissue repair. Her work aims to uncover mechanisms underlying liver diseases such as portal hypertension, cholestasis, and alcohol-associated liver disease. Dr. Iwakiri serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Hepatology and has previously held the same roles with Hepatology and Hepatology Communications. She reviews research grants for NIH and international funding agencies, and has mentored nearly 70 trainees during her independent career. She also serves in leadership roles within the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Appointments
Digestive Diseases
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- Colorado State University (2000)
Research
Overview
Understanding how vascular and lymphatic systems regulate liver health and disease
We study how blood and lymphatic vessels coordinate immune responses, inflammation, and tissue repair in the liver.
Our Research Interests
The liver is one of the most highly vascularized organs in the body, and its function depends on tightly regulated blood and lymphatic circulation. Our research investigates how vascular and lymphatic networks regulate immune responses, inflammation, and tissue repair in the liver. We are particularly interested in how endothelial cells, lymphatic vessels, and neural components interact within specialized neuro-vascular niches to maintain liver homeostasis and influence disease progression. By combining vascular biology, liver disease models, and emerging technologies such as spatial omics and computational analysis, we aim to uncover how disruptions in these interconnected systems contribute to liver diseases including portal hypertension, cholestasis, and alcohol-associated liver disease.
Research Mission
Our mission is to uncover how vascular, lymphatic, and neural networks coordinate immune responses and tissue homeostasis in the liver. By integrating vascular biology, spatial and computational approaches, and experimental models of liver disease, we seek to reveal fundamental mechanisms that drive liver inflammation, fibrosis, and portal hypertension, and to identify new therapeutic opportunities.
Research Themes
1. Vascular Regulation of Liver Inflammation
We investigate how liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) regulate inflammatory signaling, immune cell recruitment, and microvascular function in liver diseases.
2. Hepatic Lymphatic Biology
Our lab studies the structure and function of hepatic lymphatic vessels and how lymphatic circulation contributes to immune regulation, inflammation resolution, and tissue repair.
3. Neuro-Vascular Niches in the Liver
We explore how neural components interact with vascular and lymphatic systems to shape liver biology. Our work has identified roles for Schwann cells associated with sympathetic nerves in regulating lymphangiogenesis and tissue microenvironments.
4. Circulatory Mechanisms of Liver Disease
We examine how disruptions in vascular and lymphatic circulation contribute to diseases such as portal hypertension, cholestasis, and alcohol-associated liver disease.
Our Approach
To understand complex circulatory networks in the liver, we integrate multiple approaches:
- Vascular and lymphatic biology
- Experimental models of liver disease
- Advanced imaging and spatial transcriptomics
- Systems biology and computational analysis
- Translational collaboration with clinical researchers
Lab Philosophy
We believe that scientific discovery emerges from curiosity, rigorous experimentation, and collaborative thinking. Our lab fosters an environment that encourages interdisciplinary exploration, mentorship, and the development of the next generation of scientists.
Medical Research Interests
Public Health Interests
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News & Links
Media
- Macrophages (green) and T-cells (red) are infiltrated to the portal tract area of the liver in response to the induction of portal hypertension in rats. These cells play roles for portal tract fibrosis in the liver.
News
- June 26, 2024
Got a Game? Boost Your Performance
- April 16, 2024
New Professors in the Department of Internal Medicine
- July 06, 2023
Yilin Yang Selected for Gupta Family Pilot Award
- June 14, 2023
Reflections on the Yale Innovation Summit 2023
Get In Touch
Contacts
Yale School of Medicine
Department of Medicine (Digestive Diseases), PO Box 208019
New Haven, CT 06520-8019
United States
Administrative Support
Locations
The Anlyan Center
Academic Office
300 Cedar Street, Ste S223B
New Haven, CT 06519