Dr. Kellie Machlus

Assistant Professor · Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School · company speakers →

Dr. Kellie Machlus is an assistant professor at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She obtained her PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the supervision of Dr. Alisa Wolberg, studying the pathophysiology of venous thromboembolism. She then did her postdoc with Dr. Joseph Italiano, studying megakaryocyte biology. The Machlus lab is focused on identifying molecular mechanisms of megakaryocyte development that lead to enhanced platelet production, with specific emphasis on how inflammation affects megakaryocyte function. In many inflammatory conditions, platelet counts rise acutely, resulting in thrombocytosis; what initiates this platelet up-regulation is not well understood. The Machlus lab uses inflammation as a model of exacerbated, TPO-independent hematopoiesis that results in differences in platelet quality and quantity to 1) gain a better understanding of the basic biology of megakaryocyte maturation and platelet production, 2) identify TPO-independent pathways of megakaryocyte maturation, and 3) determine ways to reduce platelet-related morbidity and mortality in inflammation. The goal of the Machlus lab is to identify TPO-independent pathways of megakaryocyte maturation that result in novel therapeutics to treat platelet disorders. Current lab projects are focused on using platelet extracellular vesicles and dietary lipids to enhance megakaryopoiesis and platelet production, and on studying the role of megakaryocytes in the pathogenesis of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP)– mediated cardiovascular disease.

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