Courtney Griffin, Ph.D.

In my lab, we are interested in the development and healthy maintenance of blood vessels. Certain diseases require blood vessel development for their progression; tumors, for example, thrive on blood flow. In those situations, we want to know how to stop or reverse vessel growth in order to halt disease progression. At other times, such as when wounds are healing, vessel growth is necessary and positive. In those cases, we want to learn how to build new vessels.

Blood vessel development is similar in mice and humans, so we use mice to study and manipulate vessels. By altering one or two genes at a time in mice, we can begin to understand how those genes contribute to blood vessel development and maintenance. We ultimately hope to identify genes that are critical for building and protecting healthy blood vessels, since those genes would be important therapeutic targets for controlling the growth and upkeep of blood vessels in our bodies.

Watch Dr. Griffin’s 2012 TEDxOU Lecture: Epigenetics and the Influence of Our Genes

My lab studies the transcriptional regulation of genes that impact blood and lymphatic vascular development and maintenance. I became interested in vascular biology and development during my graduate training with Shaun Coughlin at UCSF and in epigenetics and transcription during my postdoctoral training with Terry Magnuson at UNC-Chapel Hill. When I launched my independent career in the Cardiovascular Biology Research Program at OMRF in 2008, I combined these interests together and initiated a program studying the impact of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes on vascular development. These complexes transiently modulate chromatin to facilitate transcriptional regulation of target genes. By generating mice with vascular-specific mutations in these complexes, my lab assesses how chromatin remodeling influences expression of genes that affect endothelial cell morphology and behavior. Our long-term goal is to generate insights that can be exploited for developing therapeutic approaches to combat vascular pathologies.

For more details about our current research, please see my lab website: https://griffinc.omrf.org/

Education
B.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1995
Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco, CA, 2001
Postdoc, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001-2008

Honors and Awards
Magna cum laude with highest honors in Biology, Harvard College, 1995
NIH Pathway to Independence Award, NHLBI, 2006-2011
J. Donald and Patricia Capra Award for Scientific Achievement, OMRF, 2013
Edward L. & Thelma Gaylord Prize for Scientific Excellence, OMRF, 2019
NIH Emerging Investigator Award, NHLBI, 2019-2026
Scott Zarrow Chair in Biomedical Research, OMRF, 2020-present

Professional Activities
Peer Reviewer for American Heart Association, 2009-present
Councilor for North American Vascular Biology Organization, 2015-2018
National Research Funding Subcommittee for American Heart Association, 2016-2019
Central Oklahoma Board of Directors (President 2018-2020) for American Heart Association, 2016-2022
Editorial Board Member for Angiogenesis, 2016-present
Founder and Chair of OMRF Postdoctoral Training Committee, 2017-present
Standing Member of NIH Cardiovascular Differentiation and Development study section, 2019-2023
President of North American Vascular Biology Organization, 2021-2022

Memberships
North American Vascular Biology Organization, 2006-present
American Heart Association, 2014-present
Society for Developmental Biology, 2015-present

Joined OMRF scientific staff in 2008

View more publications

Recent Publications

Han F, Simeroth S, Zhu J, Gryniuk I, Pranay A, Chen W, Wang Y, Cai Y, Shen Z, Wang G, Griffin CT, Xia L, Yu P. Lymphatic endothelial mTORC1 instructs metabolic and developmental signaling during lymphangiogenesis. Dev Cell, 2025 May, PMID: 40339577

Rajala R, Griffin CT. A novel function for endothelial protease-activated receptors in modulating insulin receptor activity with implications for diabetes. bioRxiv, 2025 March, PMID: 40196641, PMCID: PMC11974755

Rajala R, Griffin CT. Kinome profiling: A veritable Rosetta stone for protease-activated receptor 1 biased signaling. Vascul Pharmacol:107469, 2025 February, PMID: 39904417, PMCID: PMC11890924

Selected Publications

Colijn S, Gao S, Ingram KG, Menendez M, Muthukumar V, Silasi-Mansat R, Chmielewska JJ, Hinsdale M, Lupu F, Griffin CT. The NuRD chromatin-remodeling complex enzyme CHD4 prevents hypoxia-induced endothelial Ripk3 transcription and murine embryonic vascular rupture. Cell Death Differ. 2020 Feb;27(2):618-631. PMID: 31235857, PMCID: PMC7206092

Gao S, Silasi-Mansat R, Behar AR, Lupu F, Griffin CT. Excessive Plasmin Compromises Hepatic Sinusoidal Vascular Integrity After Acetaminophen Overdose. Hepatology. 2018 Nov;68(5):1991-2003. PMID: 29729197, PMCID: PMC6204085

Menendez MT, Ong EC, Shepherd BT, Muthukumar V, Silasi-Mansat R, Lupu F, Griffin CT. BRG1 (Brahma-Related Gene 1) Promotes Endothelial Mrtf Transcription to Establish Embryonic Capillary Integrity. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2017 Sep;37(9):1674-1682. PMID: 28729363, PMCID: PMC5570645

Crosswhite PL, Podsiadlowska JJ, Curtis CD, Gao S, Xia L, Srinivasan RS, Griffin CT. CHD4-regulated plasmin activation impacts lymphovenous hemostasis and hepatic vascular integrity. J Clin Invest. 2016; 126: 2254-2266. PMID: 27140400, PMCID: PMC4887170

Ingram KG, Curtis CD, Silasi-Mansat R, Lupu F, Griffin CT. The NuRD chromatin-remodeling enzyme CHD4 promotes embryonic vascular integrity by transcriptionally regulating extracellular matrix proteolysis. PLoS Genet. 2013; 9: e1004031. PMID: 24348274, PMCID: PMC3861115

Davis RB, Curtis CD, Griffin CT. BRG1 promotes COUP-TFII expression and venous specification during embryonic vascular development. Development. 2013; 140: 1272-1281. PMID: 23406903, PMCID: PMC3585661

Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, MS 45
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Phone: (405) 271-7073
Fax: (405) 271-3137
E-mail: Courtney-Griffin@omrf.org

For media inquiries, please contact OMRF’s Office of Public Affairs at news@omrf.org.

Christopher "Chris" Schafer, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

Meng-Ling "Melinda" Wu, Ph.D.
Senior Postdoctoral Scientist

Charmain Fernando, Ph.D.
Senior Postdoctoral Scientist

Xiang "Eric" Ma, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scientist

Jenna Chan
Laboratory Technician

Jun Xie
Manager Laboratory

Rahul Rajala
Graduate Student

Rachel Hubbard
Administrative Assistant II

News from the Griffin lab

New grants boost OMRF, early-career scientists

September 12, 2024

Four postdoctoral researchers receive first grants

U.S. Naval Academy students complete OMRF internship

July 16, 2024

Both cadets hope to become career military doctors

Data Nerd

December 11, 2023

Dr. Courtney Montgomery is taking number-crunching at OMRF to new heights.

Planting Seeds

December 11, 2023

The Presbyterian Health Foundation nurtures Oklahoma’s biomedical research progress.

OMRF discovery points to cause of deadly lung condition

August 31, 2023

The work could lead to a medication that prevents or treats ARDS before a patient requires a ventilator.

Celebrating mothers of science

May 9, 2023

Each of the millions of data points gathered by scientists at OMRF annually is more meaningful to discoveries than ever before, thanks in part to the pioneering work of one mother nearly 60 years ago.

A Different Kind of Basic Training

March 20, 2023

June OMRF has welcomed military academy students to its labs since 2009. For Dr. John Saxon III, the connection was one worth making. “Some people may not think of basic science and the military as linked, but I thought that I could use OMRF’s work as an opportunity to stimulate some basic bench science interest with cadets […]

OMRF scientists gather for annual scientific retreat

March 9, 2023

Awards presented to several junior researchers

OMRF discovery reveals ‘flip side’ of sometimes harmful protein

February 17, 2022

Lab findings could lead to treatment changes for certain medical conditions.

OMRF scientist named president of international research organization

August 18, 2021

OMRF scientist Courtney Griffin, Ph.D., will head the premier research organization in her field.

Military students conclude summer of research at OMRF

July 6, 2021

Three students from United States service academies have completed biomedical research summer internships at OMRF.

2020 Annual Report: New Hope for Treating Vision Loss

April 29, 2021

The calls and emails came almost immediately. Within days of publishing a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about a novel compound that could reverse vision loss in premature infants and adults with diabetes, Dr. Courtney Griffin’s inbox and voicemail began to fill. The messages came from Michigan, Washington and Texas, […]

OMRF testing new drug that could reverse some types of vision loss

October 7, 2020

Vision loss plagues millions of Americans each year. Right here in the Sooner State, a team of researchers is working to fight it.

OMRF discovery holds potential for reversing vision loss

October 6, 2020

OMRF scientists have identified a compound that could give birth to therapies for a host of eye diseases.

OMRF Says COVID Research Could Impact Other Projects

September 28, 2020

The potential life-saving advancements made in COVID research is extraordinarily important, but it’s coming at the expense of other research.

OMRF honors scientists, board member

April 21, 2020

OMRF doled out awards at its annual spring board meeting on Tuesday.

Be My Dr. Valentine

February 11, 2020

OMRF couple balances a life shared in the lab and home.

Nonprofits hold STEM career event for girls

January 27, 2020

Women representing a variety of science, technology, engineering and math fields met face-to-face with the girls in small groups.

OMRF honors researchers and board members at spring meeting

May 21, 2019

At Tuesday’s spring board meeting, OMRF recognized 11 board members for their years of service and honored four scientists for scientific achievement.

Military students receive summer science training at OMRF

June 28, 2018

Two students from the Naval Academy and one from the Air Force Academy participated in the OMRF’s ninth annual Saxon program.

Discovery could help treat Tylenol overdoses

June 12, 2018

New research from OMRF has pinpointed the cause of liver bleeding during acetaminophen overdose, as well as a possible treatment.

AHA, OMRF host STEM event for teen girls

October 4, 2017

On Sunday, the AHA hosted a special STEM education program at OMRF.

Can you control your family’s genetic destiny?

August 23, 2017

Epigenetics works like a watermark on top of your genes.

Military academy students get hands-on lab experience at OMRF

June 29, 2017

The Saxon program provides military academy students with an opportunity to work alongside OMRF senior scientists.

OMRF receives federal grant to investigate cell death

January 3, 2017

OMRF’s Courtney Griffin is studying a form of cell death called necroptosis.

$6.5 million grant will benefit cardiovascular research at OMRF

August 17, 2016

OMRF has received a 5-year NIH grant to continue heart and blood research.

OMRF researchers find that a biological “good guy” has a dark side

May 3, 2016

Enzyme thought harmless may be more dangerous than first believed

Nerdy Holidays to You: Gift Ideas for Budding Scientists

December 17, 2015

Looking for something special for that whiz kid on your holiday list?

Military academy students complete summer of research at OMRF

July 21, 2015

Muskogee physician keeps father’s memory alive with scholar program.

Controlling a protein may help prevent cancer from spreading

November 5, 2014

New OMRF research could improve cancer, diabetes treatments.

Spider-Man’s amazing (and scientifically challenging) powers

May 6, 2014

Could a radioactive spider bite really give you powers?

OMRF discovery could stop deadly blood vessel hemorrhaging

December 13, 2013

A protein is key to the structural integrity surrounding blood vessels.

Four researchers receive commendations

April 19, 2013

OMRF honored four investigators for outstanding contributions to science.

Lupus and vascular development research bring $4 million to OMRF

July 30, 2012

The National Institutes of Health awarded grants worth more than $4 million to two OMRF scientists. Patrick Gaffney, M.D., and Courtney Griffin, Ph.D., were each awarded five-year R01 grants to research genes related to lupus and vascular development, respectively. After identifying two genes associated with lupus—a chronic autoimmune disease that affects an estimated 2 million […]

OMRF scientists look at whether we can change genetic destiny

February 14, 2012

A new paper explains how DNA is turned on and off by enzymes.

Next generation of OMRF scientists brings major grants and innovation

July 6, 2010

Eight new scientists have secured $11.57 million in grants so far.

OMRF scientists try new experiment: composing music

April 23, 2010

OMRF Creativity Project lets researchers make beautiful music

The Next Generation OMRF adds new scientists to spur growth, discovery

October 6, 2008

A new wave of researchers has joined the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s scientific staff as part of the foundation’s expansion. OMRF has added seven new scientists to its staff. In addition, two research assistants have been promoted to faculty-level positions. The new researchers have come to OMRF from a variety of institutions across the U.S. […]

Triple Double

August 26, 2019

For three pairs of OMRF scientists parenting twins, there’s strength in numbers

Paying it Forward

December 19, 2017

Mentors helped shape Dr. Courtney Griffin’s scientific career. Now she’s doing the same for the next generation of aspiring researchers.   As a teenager, Courtney Griffin kept busy during the summers. Sometimes, she babysat her siblings. Others, she’d lend a hand at her father’s law office in Athens, Georgia, where she grew up. But it […]

A Few Good Men and Women

August 14, 2017

John H. Saxon, Jr., built a successful textbook publishing company around a teaching philosophy that emphasized incremental learning through the completion of problem sets. Given Saxon’s life experiences, it’s not surprising he took a drill-oriented approach to scholarship: a West Point graduate, he taught for five years at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He also […]