Investigators

My group collaborates with other BRC faculty on several disease-oriented projects. Although my expertise is primarily in the development and implementation of coagulation assays in human blood, many of our projects include both human and mouse components. These include studies on the vascular biology of sickle cell disease (with Rafal Pawlinski), cancer-associated thrombosis (with Nigel Mackman) and acute liver failure (with Rafal Pawlinski and Jian Liu). We also collaborate with several extramural research teams in studies of coagulopathy of trauma, and thrombosis associated with cancer and other disorders.

Dr. Abajas’ primary clinical and research interests are in hemostasis and thrombosis.

Research in the Aleman Lab is centered on basic mechanisms regulating erythropoiesis in health and disease. Differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells down the erythroid track requires coordinated gene expression, including RNA regulation, and accumulation of iron for hemoglobin production. Our current work focuses on a family of bifunctional proteins (poly C binding proteins) which both regulate RNA processing and chaperone iron within cells. Using biochemical, cellular, and in vivo models we explore the cross talk between iron trafficking and RNA regulation mediated by poly C binding proteins and how these activities are modulated by disease.

As a member of the UNC Blood Research Center, we are able to interact and collaborate with experts in blood coagulation and platelet biology. My lab is especially interested in investigating the contribution of the coagulation and platelets to anti-viral immune responses. Furthermore, in a collaborative effort with clinical experts of the UNC Blood Research Center, we are investigating potential pathways to improve cancer patients’ quality of life by reducing cardiotoxic side effects of highly efficient anti-cancer therapies.

The Bahnson Research Group studies Redox Biology in Cardiovascular Disease and the development of targeted nanocarriers to deliver therapeutics.

My current research focuses on interventions to improve the transition process for patients with rare blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease, as they move from a pediatric centered care environment to adult health care facilities.

Being part of the BRC at UNC provides us with a unique opportunity to interact on a daily basis with world leaders in related areas of blood research. We are particularly excited about the fact that centers like the BRC bring together basic science with clinical expertise, thus providing a platform to identify and tackle clinical challenges and to translate basic research findings to the clinical setting.

My primary clinical and research interest focus is on sickle cell disease. Past efforts have focused on improving the care of patients with sickle cell disease through quality improvement initiatives such as improving time to antibiotics in children with SCD presenting with fevers as well as improving delivery of analgesia in the ED setting. As a Hispanic female physician, it is an honor and, indeed part of my mission as an academic physician, to serve as a mentor and sponsor to trainees, particularly those from backgrounds historically marginalized, underserved and underrepresented in medicine.

My long-term research goals are to understand mechanisms involved in coagulation and develop novel therapies that augment the body’s native clotting and subsequent healing processes. A primary research focus in my group is the development of platelet-mimetic materials that participate in the natural coagulation cascade to promote hemostasis and enhance healing outcomes.

I studied the epidemiology of sickle cell disease during my doctoral training and am currently an Assistant Professor in biomedical engineering. I am developing a wearable device to monitor hydration status in individuals with sickle cell disease, and a contact-free assay to evaluate stored red blood cell quality prior to transfusion. I have coauthored 3 manuscripts with Dr. Nigel Key, who also served on my dissertation committee. I have also been mentored by Dr. Enrico Novelli at the University of Pittsburgh, where I participated as a research scholar in the NHLBI-funded Intensive Training in Hematology program. For the past 4 years, I have served as an abstract reviewer for the Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research Symposium.

Assistant Professor, Research interests: I am interested in the interaction between endothelium and coagulation proteins as well as blood cells. I have recently presented data showing an increase of factor Xa generation on endothelium in the presence of emicizumab and factor IXa. I am active in investigating the mechanism of thrombosis and thrombotic microangiopathy in the use of emicizumab and have an interest in improving the treatment of breakthrough bleeding in patients on emicizumab. I am more generally interested in the development of systems that can shed light on the mechanisms and complications of emerging, non-factor therapies for hemophilia.

Our role in the Blood Research Center (BRC) is to provide a unique perspective on the contribution of coagulation and fibrinolytic factors to a wide spectrum of disease pathologies, independent of the traditional roles of these factors in bleeding and thrombosis. We utilize mouse models to analyze specific mechanisms by which proteins such as prothrombin, fibrinogen, and plasminogen contribute to the progression of inflammatory, infectious, and malignant disease. Working with our collaborative basic science and clinical partners in the BRC provides an unparalleled opportunity for rapidly advancing our understanding of the multifaceted role of the hemostatic system in hemostasis, thrombosis, and beyond.

My groups research is focused on identifying novel mechanisms responsible for pathological activation of coagulation and venous thromboembolism. Venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is a common cardiovascular disease that is a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Research Interests My research interest focuses on the mechanisms of cancer-associated thrombosis and bleeding. My primary interest is mechanisms of pancreatic cancer-associated venous thrombosis because pancreatic cancer has one of the highest rates of venous thrombosis. I have found that tumor-derived tissue factor positive extracellular vesicles, neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 independently contribute to venous thrombosis in mouse models of pancreatic cancer.

photo of matthew karafin, smiling in a suit

My research broadly involves blood transfusion efficacy and quality. I am particularly interested in the variables that impact red cell unit quality and its effects on chronic transfusion protocols. The aim of my current multi-center randomized clinical studies is to improve transfusion efficacy for adults with sickle cell disease.

Bleeding and clotting disorders, and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Dr. Raj Kasthuri is a clinician, researcher and clinical educator. Dr. Kasthuri’s clinical and research interests are in disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis, and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia. (HHT). Dr. Kasthuri is Associate Director for Clinical Research for the BRC. He is also Director of the UNC HHT Center of Excellence. He participates in and/or leads a number of clinical research studies evaluating the natural history of HHT and the evaluation of efficacy of novel therapies for the treatment of HHT. His laboratory interests include the mechanism(s) of coagulation activation in HHT, gene therapy for HHT, and he collaborates with other BRC investigators on research on mechanisms of thrombosis in cancer.

My research interests are centered around platelet signaling and function. More specifically, I am focused on two main areas of platelet research: 1) the utility of platelet transfusion in various bleeding disorders, and 2) mechanisms regulating platelet lifespan in blood and platelet clearance in organs such as spleen and liver. We utilize mouse models of platelet dysfunction.

My research is focused on studying the influence of biochemical and biophysical mechanisms on blood coagulation, clot formation, and bleeding. My methodology involves the integration of mathematical, statistical, and experimental approaches to determine mechanisms underlying complex biological phenomena.

Dr. Little's clinical and research interests are in Sickle Cell Disease and erythropoiesis. We are interested in the physical properties of red cells, especially from people with sickle cell disease, under ambient and hypoxic conditions. We are using microfluidic devices in collaboration with colleagues at UNC and at CWRU to study red cells and to associate these findings with clinical phenotypes, before and after treatment. We are also part of a sickle cell disease registry, in order to capture data prospectively and pool resources with over 8 other institutions nationally.

My research interests include, identification of polysaccharide-based receptor; structure and specificity of a heparan sulfate-based herpes simplex virus 1 receptor; drug targeting; gene therapy.

Dr. Ma’s research interests center around detection of undiagnosed bleeding disorders, treatment of congenital and acquired bleeding disorders, as well as in treatment of immuno-hematologic disorders such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. She is the director of the UNC adult hematology/oncology fellowship program and is focused on hematology education.

The Mackman lab studies the roles of tissue factor (TF), coagulation proteases and protease-activated receptors (PARs) in health and disease. We have established a variety of different disease models and have a larger number of transgenic mice deficient in different coagulation factors and PARs, as well as mice with low levels of TF and mice with cell type-specific knockout of TF, PAR1 and PAR2. We also use antibodies and pharmacological inhibitors of FXa and thrombin.

Dr. Moll is a clinician, clinical researcher and educator, with a particular focus on thrombosis and anticoagulation. His research interests include clinical trials on venous thromboembolism and better use of anticoagulants, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and postthrombotic syndrome.

As part of the Blood Research Center, we use our background in protein chemistry and enzyme kinetics to collaborate on studies looking at the molecular mechanisms that underlie both healthy hemostasis and the dysregulation of hemostasis seen in bleeding and thrombosis.

To date, my research interests have focused primarily on the investigation of the coagulation system in inflammatory disorders with a thrombotic phenotype. There is known to be a close interplay between inflammation and coagulation, however, not all inflammation predisposes to thrombosis. My work aims to help better understand the role and mechanism(s) of coagulation activation in certain inflammatory disorders, and how this coagulation activation may lead to both increased thrombotic risk as well as heightened inflammation through positive feedback mechanisms.

I am the Director of the Francis Owen Blood Research Laboratory (FOBRL), the mission of which is to reduce human and animal suffering from bleeding, thrombosis and atherosclerosis by the study of unique, genetically-determined animal models of these diseases. The FOBRL was established in 1960 by Dr. Kenneth M. Brinkhous and has provided work and study opportunities for many undergraduate, M.D., D.V.M. and Ph.D. students, post-doctoral students, and faculty at UNC and from several institutions worldwide.

Research Interests My research focus is clinical research in the field of therapeutic apheresis, specifically thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Although my research started quite small, using data and samples from UNC, it has grown to be incredibly collaborative through a number of professional organizations and relationships throughout the country and internationally. I have evolved my …

As a part of the Bergmeier research group my efforts are focused on understanding the intricacies of platelet signaling, primarily as it relates to thrombosis and hemostasis.

One area of interest is to investigate how the coagulation cascade contributes to the pathophysiology of neuroinflammation using mouse models of stroke and multiple sclerosis. We also study mechanisms of coagulation activation and clot formation in mouse models of sickle cell disease, and our goal is to identify the best mechanism of anti-coagulation to reduce the incidence of vaso-occlusive crisis, chronic inflammation, and end-organ damage associated with this blood disorder. The BRC enables us to interact with clinicians that are experts in sickle cell disease, which elevates the clinical relevance and impact of our research.

My lab develops microfluidic models of the blood and lymphatic vasculature for basic science and translational purposes. Specific projects relevant to the Blood Research Center are: 1) Understanding the role of Notch receptor signaling in vascular endothelial adherens junction assembly and stability; 2) A nascent collaboration with Dr. Prabir Roy-Chaudhury at the UNC Kidney center to screen patient plasma in microfluidic models of the vasculature to predict risk of cardiovascular complications in kidney disease.

I am an enthusiastic and solid medical scientist, passionate about RNA and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), an extremely relevant research area of interest of the BRC. Eventually, I aim to improve our transfusion and bone marrow transplant practices based in novel discoveries. Our lab is committed to embrace individuals from all backgrounds and groups, including, but not restricted to those from historically excluded minorities. The diversity of our team creates an inclusive, collegial, supportive-equitable team, sustained by our different backgrounds united towards scientific understanding. We consider the education process as being dynamic and transformative. In ways that that the unforeseen novel knowledge leads a to an empowered society. These are also goals shared by the BRC mission at UNC.

Dr. Reeves is a clinician-investigator and co-Principal Investigator of the UNC Lineberger MDS Foundation Center of Excellence. Her clinical interests are focused in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and bone marrow failure syndromes.

The broad goal in my laboratory is to investigate crosstalk between coagulation and inflammation in animal models of disease. My primary interest is sickle cell disease, a blood disorder caused by a hemoglobin mutation that results in sickling of red blood cells.

As individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are living longer, there is a growing adolescent and young adult population with unique manifestations of SCD that are poorly understand. My research interests are broadly in understanding clinical outcomes in SCD management, characterizing individuals at greater risk for complications and in improving guideline-based care of those with SCD, especially in the diagnosis and management of iron overload. I am joining the non-malignant hematology faculty at UNC and am interested in pursing research in non-malignant hematology. As a member of the BRC, I will have the support and opportunity to continue my research pursuits.

Research in the Wolberg lab focuses on cellular, biochemical, and biophysical mechanisms that contribute to blood coagulation and disease, including arterial and venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, hemophilia, malignancy, and obesity.

Investigators

Investigators

Key

Abajas

Aleman

Antoniak

Bahnson

Baskin

Bergmeier

Boucher

Brown

Caughey

Ellsworth

Flick

Grover

Hisada

Karafin

Kasthuri

Lee

Leiderman

Little

Liu

Ma

Mackman

Moll

Monroe

Mooberry

Nichols

Park

Paul

Pawlinski

Polacheck

Ramos

Reeves

Sparkenbaugh

Wilson

Wolberg