Austin is currently a PhD student in the Mechanobiology and Microfluidics lab at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and is working on determining how the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 contributes to endothelial physiology, vascular aging and cardiovascular disease.

The main interest of his research includes studying the response of Piezo1 to haemodynamic forces, such as shear stress, and how these responses are influenced in aged blood vessels. He takes advantage of organ-on-a-chip models of blood vessels to study endothelial mechanobiology. His research aims to provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of arterial stiffness caused by vascular aging and determine whether Piezo1 could be a suitable target as a therapeutic intervention for cardiovascular diseases.