The faculty of the Hematology T32 Training Program consist of 35 preceptor faculty members belonging to 13 departments and Institutes.
Alphabetical Listing of T32 Preceptor Faculty
Gowthami Arepally, MD (Basic, Translational and Clinical, Track II): Dr. Arepally is the Program Director for the Heme T32 Training Program. Dr. Arepally leads an internationally recognized basic and translational research program investigating the pathogenesis of HIT. Her current research investigates complement’s role in both the afferent (initiation of the HIT immune response) and efferent (complement activation by HIT antibodies) arms of disease. See: Arepally Lab Website
Allison Ashley-Koch, PhD (Basic Research, Tracks I & IV): Dr. Ashley-Koch is Professor of Medicine, Biostatistics & Bioinformatics and faculty member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. Dr. Ashley-Koch’s NIH funded laboratory uses quantitative methods to identify multi-omic (genetic, transcriptomic, epigenetic, metabolomic, proteomic) predictors of human disease, and also performs functional annotation of human risk alleles using zebrafish and the developing chick embryo as in vivo model systems. Dr.Ashley-Koch’s current hematologic research focuses on genetic modifiers of sickle cell co-morbidities including priapism, nephropathy and alloimmunization.
Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi (Basic Research, Tracks I & IV): Dr. Chi is Associate Professor in Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Pharmacology & Cancer Biology. His laboratory investigates the nutrient signaling of cancers and the transcriptome analysis of erythrocytes, platelets and blood cells in sickle and thrombotic diseases. He has defined the erythrocyte transcriptome changes among sickle cell diseases and effects of blood storage.
Danielle Brander, MD (Basic/Translational, Track III): Dr. Brander is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies. Dr. Brander’s clinical research program investigates progrnostic and therapeutic aspects of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Nelson Chao, MD (Basic, Translational and Clinical, Tracks II & III): Dr. Chao is the Donald D. and Elizabeth G. Cooke Cancer Research Professor, Professor of Medicine, Immunology and Pathology and current Chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy. Dr. Chao is also the Co-PI of the Duke-UNC Immunotherapy Training Program focused on immune therapeutics for cancer, including CAR-T cell therapy. Dr. Chao’s research spans the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical research and includes studies of clinical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, basic studies of graft v. host disease and translations studies of biomimetic platelets for treatment of radiation induced thrombocytopenia.
Sandeep Dave, MD, MS, MBA (Basic/Translational Track III): Dr. Dave is Professor of Medicine with a primary appointment in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy. Dr. Dave’s research lab applies genomic tools to understand lymphoma biology and develop targeted therapeutics. His current research programs include studies of genetic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and context-dependent roles of genetic mutations in determining clinical outcomes. See Dave lab website.
Simon Gregory PhD (Basic Research, Track IV): Dr. Gregory is a Professor in Neurology and Research Professor in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. Dr. Gregory’s laboratory applies genetic, genomic and metabolomic approaches to understanding multi-factorial diseases, such as autism, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease. See Simon Gregory lab website.
Barton Haynes, MD (Basic Research, Track IV): Dr. Haynes is the Fredric M. Hanes Professor of Medicine and Director of the Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Haynes’s internationally renowned research program applies cutting-edge molecular technologies to develop vaccines to human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis and influenza.
Maureane Hoffman MD, PhD (Basic/Translational, Track II): Dr. Hoffman is Professor of Pathology and Director of Transfusion Medicine at the VA Hospital in Durham. Dr. Hoffman is well-known for her description of the cell-based model of tissue-factor initiated coagulation. Her current research focuses on angiogenesis and wound healing in murine models of hemophilia.
Christopher Holley, MD (Basic/Translational Research Track IV): Dr. Holley is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Holley is also the Associate Program Director for Duke’s Physician Scientist Training Program. The Holley Laboratory is focused on the role of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in cardiovascular health and disease, with a special emphasis on snoRNA (small nucleolar RNA). snoRNAs are canonically known to guide the chemical modification of other RNAs, with ribosomal RNA being the primary target. Dr. Holley’s research has helped to uncover a novel biologic role for the Rpl13a snoRNAs in the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress.
Tony Huang, PhD (Basic/Translational Research, Tracks I): Dr. Huang is the William Beaven Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Science in the Pratt School of Engineering. His NIH funded laboratory has pioneered acoustofluidic systems for exosome, platelet and red cell separation.
Yubin Kang, MD PhD (Basic/Translational, Track III): Dr. Kang is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy. Dr. Kang’s basic research program investigates the role of sphingolipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma and development of novel therapeutics for myeloma.
Joanne Kurtzberg, MD (Basic/Translational and Clinical, Track III): Dr. Kurtzberg is the Jerome S. Harris Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Pediatrics & Pathology with a primary appointment in the Division of Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Dr. Kurtzberg is a pioneer in the field of cord blood transplantation having established the role of umbilical cord blood for treatment of a variety of hematologic and non-hematologic disorders.
Grace Lee, MD (Basic/Translational Research, Track I & II) Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology, Director of Duke’s Therapeutic Apheresis Service and Associate Medical Director of Duke Transfusion Services . Her NIH-funded laboratory research program seeks to understand healthy donor variation in neutrophil reactivity and how individual neutrophil responses contribute to the host immune response. Her interdisciplinary team studies neutrophil biology in the context of infectious disease, autoimmune disease and thrombosis.
Robert Lefkowitz, MD (Basic Research, Track IV): Dr. Lefkowitz is the James B. Duke Professor of Medicine, Professor of Biochemistry, Pathology and Chemistry in the Division of Cardiology and recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovery of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. See Lefkowitz Lab Website. Other website: https://www.hhmi.org/scientists/robert-j-lefkowitz
Paul Martin, MD, PhD (Clinical Research, Track III): Dr. Martin is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapies and Professor of Pediatrics. His clinical research program studies marrow transplantation for pediatric leukemia, non-malignant blood disorders, and inherited metabolic diseases. As well, he co-leads the pediatric immunotherapy program which uses cytoxic T-cells for treating leukemia and viral infections. Dr. Martin is also conducting research on the prevention and treatment of transplant related morbidity, particularly veno-occlusive disease of the liver, infections and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage.
Timothy McMahon, MD, PhD (Basic/Translational Research, Track I): Dr. Tim McMahon is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Medicine. Dr. McMahon’s laboratory investigates red cell nitric oxide and ATP as red-cell mediators in the circulatory bed in health and disease. Dr. McMahon’s research programs include studies of red cell mediators in acute lung injury and sepsis-induced red cell dysfunction.
Thomas Ortel, MD, PhD (Clinical Research, Track II & IV): Dr. Ortel is Professor Medicine and Pathology and the Chief of the Division of Hematology. Dr. Ortel’s research consists of both clinical and molecular studies underlying thrombotic disorders. Current research programs include investigations of anticoagulants for treatment of the anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome and HIT. Genomic studies include investigations of genetic variants predisposing to thrombotic storm and the catastrophic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
Kevin Oeffinger, MD, (Clinical Research, Track III): is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Family Medicine and Community Health and Population Health Sciences and the founding Director of the DCI Center for Onco-Primary Care, and Director of the DCI Supportive Care and Survivorship Center. Dr. Oeffinger has NIH-supported research in cancer screening and survivorship.
David Rizzieri, MD (Clinical Research, Track III): Dr. Rizzieri is Professor of Medicine, Vice-Chief for Clinical Research in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy and a former Hematology T32 trainee. Dr. Rizzieri’s research focuses on phase I trials of novel anti-cancer therapies and novel antibody targets in hematologic malignancies.
Jennifer Rothman, MD (Clinical Research, Tracks I & II): Dr. Rothman is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Program Director for the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship and member of the Executive Committee. Dr. Rothman’s research involves clinical studies of pediatric sickle cell disease, hereditary hemolytic anemias, immune cytopenias and bone marrow failure syndromes.
Stefanie Sarantopoulos, MD, PhD (Basic/Translational and Clinical Track III): Dr. Sarantopoulos is Associate Professor of Medicine and Immunology within the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy. Her research focuses on human B cell signaling in the context of graft versus host disease.
Nirmish Shah, MD (Clinical Research, Track I): Dr. Shah is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and School of Nursing and a T32 training program graduate. Dr. Shah’s clinical research program studies mobile health and wearable technologies to predict pain and clinical outcomes in sickle cell disease as well as health outcomes research in young adults with sickle cell disease.
Dorothy Sipkins, MD, PhD (Basic/Translational, Track III): Dr. Sipkins is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy. Her laboratory conducts basic research on the bone marrow microenvironment that regulates the migration, survival and regeneration of cancerous cells.
JJ Strouse, MD, PhD (Clinical Research, Track I): Dr. Strouse is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology. Dr. Strouse’s funded research focuses on environmental modifiers of severity in children with SCD and the application of functional assessment to guide the treatment of older adults with sickle cell disease.
Bruce Sullenger, PhD (Basic/Translational, Track II): Dr. Sullenger is the Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard Professor of Experimental Surgery, Professor of Surgery, Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of the Duke Center for Translational Research. Dr. Sullenger’s primary appointment is in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Sullenger has pioneered the development of RNA and DNA reversible aptamers as anticoagulant and immunomodulatory therapies. Dr. Sullenger is new to the Hematology T32 and was invited to participate in the program on the basis of his work in the development of novel anticoagulant therapies. Dr. Sullenger’s collaborations with members of the Hematology T32 include work on anticoagulant aptamers (Drs. Arepally, Ortel and Hoffman). As well, Drs. Arepally and Hoffman have served on the thesis committees of several members of Dr. Sullenger’s laboratory.
Anthony Sung, MD (Clinical Research,Track III): Dr. Sung is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy. Dr. Sung’s research spans the translational to clinical spectrum. His translational program studies effects of microbiota on marrow transplant outcomes, while his clinical research has focused on outcomes of home transplant program.
Steve Taylor, MD, MPH (Clinical Research, Track I): Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease. Dr. Taylor’s lab does field and translational studies of malaria, including molecular epidemiologic and chemoprevention studies in Africa and laboratory investigations of the impact of red blood cell variants on parasite pathogenesis. See Steve Taylor lab website.
Marilyn Telen, MD (Basic and Clinical Research, Track I): Dr. Telen’s research programs encompass basic, translational and clinical research. Dr. Telen’s current basic research program studies effects of nitric oxide on the erythrocyte membrane, role of ATP on sickle red cell adhesion, effects of antiLog Out-oxidants on sickle red cell function and adhesion, and structure/function analysis of blood group antigens. Her clinical research studies include investigations of pyruvate kinase activation on sickle cell circulatory behavior and aging in sickle cell disease.
George Truskey, PhD (Basic/Translational, Track II): Dr. Truskey is the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Senior Associate Dean in Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. Dr. Truskey’s laboratory investigates the effects of endothelial cell senescence on permeability to macromolecules and the response to fluid shear stress, the development of human microphysiological vascular and muscle systems to model diseases and evaluate drug responses.
Deepak Voora (Clinical Research Track II & IV): Dr. Voora is an Associate Professor of Medicine and is the National Director of the VA Pharmacogenomics testing for Veterans (PHASER). Dr. Voora’s research focuses on Systems and Clinical Pharmacogenomics employing both system-based biological approaches to understanding the impact of genetic variants on drug response to in vivo studies to predict drug responses using genomic approaches. His laboratory has developed anti-platelet therapy gene signatures to predict adverse drug events as well as discovery of the genetic variant in the SLCO1B1 gene that predicts statin myopathy. His current efforts are focused on implementing pharmacogenomic testing in the clinical care of 250,000 Veterans nationwide.
Brice Weinberg, MD (Basic and Clinical Research, Tracks I & III): Dr. Weinberg is a Professor of Medicine and Immunology at Duke, and staff physician in Hematology/Oncology at the Durham VA Medical Center. Dr. Weinberg’s established research program includes studies of nitric oxide (NO) and microvascular dysfunctional responses in malaria, involvement of NO and cytokines in inflammation, and regulation of apoptosis and death of leukemia cells by NO.
Welsby, Ian MD (Clinical Research, Tracks I & II): Dr. Welsby is Professor of Anesthesiology with a primary appointment in the Division of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology. Dr. Welsby’s research is focused on optimizing perioperative transfusion practices in cardiovascular surgery, including studies of autologous plateletpheresis and point-of-care devices for washing packed red cells to minimize perioperative lung injury. Other T32 collaborations include studies of HIT (Drs. Ortel and Arepally), protamine/heparin antibodies (Drs. Arepally and Lee), plasmapheresis (Drs. Arepally and Onwuemene), optimizing transfusion in sickle cell disease (Dr. Shah) and biomarkers of bleeding risk (Dr. Ortel).
Huanghe Yang, PhD (Basic Research, Tracks I & II): Dr. Yang is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Neurobiology. Dr. Yang was awarded the prestigious NIH Director’s New Innovator Award in 2017 for his innovative, high impact research for studies of lipid scramblases on transbilayer phospholipid transport. Dr. Yang’s T32-related research investigates ion channels regulating red cell membrane phospholipids and effects on platelet phospholipid and coagulation.
Ken Young, MD (Basic/Translational, Track III): Dr. Young is a Professor of Pathology who was recently recruited to Duke in 2019 and newly appointed to the Hematology T32. Dr. Young investigates molecular mechanisms of tumor progression, cell of origin and novel therapeutic strategies for lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia.
