Lawrence F. Brass

Biography

Dr. Lawrence F. Brass, is employed as Professor of Department of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He received his MD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His research interests include: platelet biology and the mechanisms of platelet activation in response to vascular injury and disease. Platelets are blood cells best known for their role in halting bleeding after vascular injury, but they do many other things as well, not all of which are healthy for humans. People that lack platelets are at risk for life-threatening bleeding. People that have platelets are at risk for the kinds of acute arterial thrombosis that leads to heart attacks and strokes, especially in the setting of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to understand the former and prevent the latter. The work we are doing focuses on human biology and pathology, but makes extensive use of genetically engineered mouse models and systems biology approaches as well. Studies currently funded by the NIH Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the American Heart Association include efforts to understand how platelet activation is initiated and regulated, how contacts between activated platelets foster thrombus growth and stability, in part by establishing a protected local environment, and how differences among platelets affect responses to injury. Methods that we employ range from the manipulation of gene expression in megakaryocytes to intravital high resolution confocal microscopy and computerized modeling. Campus collaborations include strong links to the School of Engineering and to investigators in the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pharmacology. Potential rotation and thesis projects can be identified in any of these areas.

Research Interest

platelet biology and the mechanisms of platelet activation in response to vascular injury and disease.