Professor
University of North Texas
I received my Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science and postdoctoral training at Yale University. I started my independent career as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. I rose to the rank of full professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Currently, I am the University Distinguished Research Professor at the University of North Texas
In my graduate work, I determined the sequence of 5S RNA from Mycobacterium smegmatis. During my postdoctoral training, I sequenced the human beta-globin gene cluster, discovered Alu repetitive DNA, and characterized the deletion mutation for hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin syndrome, where the deletion point was in the Alu DNA.
I chose to study coagulation factor disorders during my independent career. I cloned human factor IX, X, and XIII genes as an initial step. I identified several mutations in hemophilia B and other clotting factor deficiencies. I generated a transgenic mouse that recapitulated the factor IX Leiden mutant phenotype. At this time, I pioneered introducing the zebrafish model to study the genetics of hemostasis and its associated disorders. I characterized the zebrafish coagulation system and introduced the genetic methods to study thrombosis and hemostasis. I also identified several novel genes that contribute to the hemostasis process.
I also generated deficiencies of hemostatic factors such as VWF, TFPI, factor IX, factor VIII, Gp1B, gpr34l, and Par2 in zebrafish and currently using this model to identify modifier genes. I have identified Suz12 as a modifier for TFPI. We generated a zebrafish with young and mature thrombocytes labeled with RFP and GFP, respectively. We sorted these two populations of thrombocytes and performed a single-cell RNAseq analysis. We are conducting a knockdown screen of thrombocyte-specific genes using our modified multiple gene piggyback knockdown method.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM