Leah Greenspan

Contributions to Public Health

• Cellular Dynamics During Cutaneous Wound Repair: Cutaneous wound healing requires coordinated interactions between immune cells, epithelial cells, blood and lymphatic vessels, and other wound-resident populations. My work focuses on defining how cellular recruitment, persistence, and cell-cell interactions shape tissue repair. Using adult zebrafish and long-term live imaging approaches, I investigate how dynamic multicellular behaviors promote successful regeneration and provide a framework for identifying mechanisms underlying impaired healing and chronic wound development.
  • Greenspan LJ, Ameyaw KK, Castranova D, Mertus CA, Weinstein BM. Live Imaging of Cutaneous Wound Healing after Rotary Tool Injury in Zebrafish. J Invest Dermatol. 2024 Apr;144(4):888-897.e6. 
  • Greenspan LJ, Cisneros I, Weinstein BM. Dermal Dive: An Overview of Cutaneous Wounding Techniques in Zebrafish. J Invest Dermatol. 2024 Jul;144(7):1430-1439. 
• Regenerative Signaling Pathways in Tissue Repair: Successful tissue repair depends on molecular signals that coordinate cellular responses and direct regenerative outcomes. My research seeks to identify signaling pathways that regulate healing, particularly those involved in vascular regrowth and remodeling, and determine how disruptions in these programs alter repair outcomes. Understanding these mechanisms may reveal pathways that can be leveraged to improve regenerative responses following tissue injury.
  • Miller MF*, Greenspan LJ*, Gildea DE, Monzo K, Margolin G, Pham VN, Ameyaw KK, Price L, Aloi N, Stratman AN, Davis AE, Cisneros I, Mertus CA, Dale RK, Baxevanis AD, Weinstein BM. In vivo profiling of the endothelium using 'AngioTag' zebrafish. Angiogenesis. 2025 Jul 4;28(3):40. 
• Mechanisms of Impaired Healing in Aging and Diabetes: Chronic non-healing wounds disproportionately affect aging and diabetic populations and represent a substantial public health burden. My work investigates how aging and diabetes alter cellular communication and regenerative programs during cutaneous wound repair. Defining mechanisms that contribute to pathological healing may reveal strategies to improve repair outcomes in vulnerable populations.