Dr Gardiner will be visiting the University of Birmingham 6
May – 5 June 2014, hosted by Professor Steve Watson.
Dr
Elizabeth Gardiner is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Centre
for Blood Diseases, Monash University, located at the Alfred Medical Research
& Education Precinct (AMREP) in Melbourne, Australia. Her core expertise is
in the biochemical and molecular analysis of immune-based platelet disorders.
Platelets are critical for normal haemostatic responses however they play a
primary role in thrombotic disorders.
Papers from Dr Gardiner’s core research
have demonstrated and characterised a novel mechanism of regulation of platelet
adhesion receptor levels by metalloproteolysis. This shedding of platelet
receptors is detected immediately following receptor engagement and signalling,
or importantly, upon exposure to changes in vascular shear rates. Loss of the
receptors has important functional outcomes for platelets, and for the
stability of a thrombus.
Dr Gardiner has expanded her studies of platelet receptor
regulation to examine how uncontrolled platelet activation as seen in human
autoimmune-based diseases such as immunothrombocytopenia (ITP) and
heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), influences surface levels of both
platelet receptor GPVI and the related ITAM-containing FcgRIIa receptor levels.
Dr Gardiner will also present an IAS lecture as part of the
UoB/BHF Cardiovascular Open Day and a specialist research lecture. Details of
these will be available in April.