PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Hematology
UNC Blood Research Center
UNC-Chapel Hill
Clinical Research
Area of Interest
My current research interest focuses on the mechanisms of cancer-associated thrombosis and bleeding in acute leukemia.
We have finished three primary projects on the mechanisms of cancer-associated thrombosis. Our first study determined the contribution of endogenous tissue factor-positive (TF+) extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human pancreatic tumors (BxPC-3) in nude mice to venous thrombosis. In a second study, we investigated the roles of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in cancer-associated thrombosis. More recently, we investigated the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in venous thrombosis in pancreatic cancer in collaboration with Dr. Ay’s group in Vienna.
Recently, we began new studies that focus on understanding the mechanisms of venous thrombosis and bleeding in patients with acute leukemia. We have initiated a new collaboration with a group in the University of Alabama at Birmingham. We measured different biomarkers of activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with acute leukemia, including acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We found high levels of these biomarkers of activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with acute leukemia some of which are associated with venous thrombosis and bleeding. Importantly, the different types of leukemias have distinct patterns of biomarkers of activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis. We are currently focusing on APL because it has an unusual coagulopathy and is associated with a high rate of bleeding. Importantly, we have recently established mouse xenograft and allograft models of APL. Currently, we are investigating the mechanisms of coagulopathy and bleeding in APL using plasma samples from patients and mouse models.
Awards and Honors
- Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Fellowship, 2019-2020
- International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Early Career Travel Grant, 2019
- T32 Fellowship program (HL007149), 2017-2019
- Per Morten Sandset Paper of the Year, Thrombosis Research, 2017
- K.G. Jebsen Thrombosis Research and Expertise Center Fellowship, 2015-2017
- Mitsukoshi Health and Welfare Foundation Travel Grant, 2014
- The Best Presenter Award, 29th Annual Meeting of Japan Society of Drug Delivery System, Japan, 2013
- The Best Poster Award, BIA symposium 2012, Japan, 2012
