Date: 18 March 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, G/F, William M.W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road 
Host: Professor Zhongjun Zhou

Ralf H. Adams started his independent career at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute in 2000. Later, he became director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine and professor at the University of Münster, Germany. The main research interests of Ralf Adams are vascular biology, the growth and organ-specific specialization of blood vessels, and the crosstalk with cells in the surrounding tissue. A key discovery by his team is the identification specialized vessel subpopulations in bone with critical functional roles in skeletal development, bone homeostasis, age-related bone loss, and osteoporosis. His research uses advanced mouse genetics and confocal/two-photon microscopy together with a range of cell biology approaches. Ralf Adams is an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation. He has received the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society, the Werner Risau Memorial Award, the Malpighi Award of the European Society for Microcirculation, and the Feldberg Prize.

Blood vessels in the skeletal system play a critical role in bone formation and are part of the hematopoietic stem cell niche. However, understanding the architecture and function of skeletal vasculature has been challenging due to the heavily calcified and matrix-rich nature of bone. By developing advanced protocols for bone immunostaining and imaging, we have surmounted many of these obstacles.

Our research has revealed that vascular growth in bone is mediated by a specialized form of angiogenesis distinct from other organs. We identified unique type of capillary, termed type H, characterized by high expression of the cell surface markers CD31/Pecam1 and Endomucin. These capillaries are closely associated with immature perivascular mesenchymal cells and osteoprogenitors and couple angiogenesis to osteogenesis. 

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we have systematically explored the heterogeneity of bone endothelial cells (ECs) in different age groups and conditions, providing deeper insights into the organization and functional specialization of bone vasculature. This has revealed significant age-related alterations in bone vasculature, including changes in arteries, blood flow, perivascular mesenchymal cells, and capillary EC subpopulations. Our work has also identified another vessel subtype, termed type R, that facilitates bone remodeling during adolescence, adulthood, aging, and in response to anti-osteoporosis treatments. Furthermore, we found that skull bone marrow is subjected to lifelong expansion, responds dynamically to physiological and pathological challenges, and exhibit substantial resilience during aging and in response to irradiation.

Ongoing studies address the role of blood vessels in bone fracture healing, regeneration post-irradiation, and fibrosis. This work is crucial for understanding and potentially manipulating the vascular contributions to bone health and disease.

All are welcome.