HEMOSTASIS RESEARCH

Located in Boston, a major hub for biomedical science, our program offers trainees a vibrant environment to develop into the next generation of teachers, scholars, and researchers

Training Philosophy

Our Division welcomes qualified trainees at all levels, including undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral scientists.  We have offered students at the undergraduate and medical student levels summer training opportunities, including participation in the 3-month NIH T35 program in Vascular Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  Experiences lasting 1-2 years are also available, and our Division has been a participating site for the Sarnoff Foundation Medical Student Research Fellowship.  For postdoctoral research fellows, our Division features a robust NIH T32 training program in Blood Coagulation and Vascular Biology.

Our goal is to create a training environment that is at once scientifically rigorous, intellectually intense, and enjoyable. The scientific maturation of each laboratory member is a priority of the Principle Investigator.  The academic development of Division members is accomplished by didactics, close mentorship, and exposure to the rich variety of opportunities available within the Harvard system. We foster the productivity of each lab member, since productivity in biological sciences is an essential component of successful development.

Location: Boston

Boston is world-renowned both for its historical prominence in the area of scientific achievement and its thriving biotechnology environment. Densely populated with exceptional academic institutions, Boston is an ideal location for young scholars to experience a rich intellectual environment. Beyond academics, Boston is highly ranked among US cities in terms of quality of life. It is the highest ranked US city according to the popular Deutsche Bank ranking of quality of life in major cities. It was also ranked the best city in the Northeast by Money magazine. It is well known for its history, cultural diversity, sports teams, and food. Trainees who come here tend to want to stay.

T32 Program in Blood Coagulation and Vascular Biology

History

The T32 training program in Blood Coagulation and Vascular Biology has been housed within the Division of Hemostasis and Thrombosis at BIDMC since 1998 and is the continuation of a legacy training program begun at Tufts University Medical Center in 1978.  Since 1978, our T32 program has successfully assisted in building the careers of over 200 scholars in the science of coagulation, platelet biology, and vascular medicine. 

Faculty

Robert Flaumenhaft, MD, PhD (Director): Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Ken Bauer, MD (Associate Program Director for the Clinical Investigator Track): Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Joyce Bischoff, PhD: Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Elliot Chaikof, MD, PhD: Johnson and Johnson Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chairman of Surgery

Robert Gerszten, MD: Herman Dana Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Cardiology

Timothy Hla, PhD: Patricia K. Donahoe Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Calum MacRae, MD, PhD: Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Marsha Moses, PhD: Julia Dyckman Andrus Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Martin Pollak, MD: Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Nephrology

Elisabeth M. Battinelli, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Hong Chen, PhD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Joseph Italiano, PhD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Martha Sola-Visner, MD: Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Pavan K. Bendapudi, MD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rajat Gupta, MD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Kellie Machlus, PhD: Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Sol Schulman, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Curriculum

The T-32 training program includes three tracks.

Track 1: Training Physician-Scientists in Basic Research

This track focuses on training clinicians with an interest in the basic science of hemostasis & thrombosis or vascular biology. Training includes assignment to a specific laboratory, where the trainee is expected to serve a leading role in 1-3 projects involving bench research under the supervision of a dedicated mentor. Trainees are expected to present their research at In-progress Research Seminars, which occur on a weekly basis. A second important component of the training experience is a didactic lecture series directed at acquainting clinicians with cutting-edge technology and new developments in basic science. The didactic lecture series also includes talks on grant and manuscript writing, presentation skills, and topics in career development. Training is supplemented by the multiple lectures series that occur regularly within Harvard Medical School environment.

Track 2: Clinical Investigator Track

Trainees participate in mentored translational research projects within the field of hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular biology and complete intensive courses in translational medicine, statistics, and clinical trial design offered through the Harvard Catalyst Postgraduate Education Program.

Track 3: Training Basic Scientists in Coagulation, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology

This track focuses on training PhD scientists who seek to develop careers in the basic science of hemostasis and thrombosis or vascular biology. Trainees will pursue the mentored independent research experience, the didactic lecture series, and local lecture series.

Seminars and Colloquia

The “Special Topics in Coagulation and Vascular Biology” lecture series is hosted by the Division of Thrombosis and Hemostasis and is offered annually to T32 program participants, Division members, and the larger scientific community at Harvard.  The goal of this course is to expose trainees to specific topics important to the field of thrombosis and hemostasis and more broadly to the latest techniques used in biomedical investigation.

Part I: Concepts in Clotting
Overview of coagulation
Vitamin K-dependent proteins
Tissue factor and thrombus formation
Contact system
Megakaryopoiesis and platelet number
Cell Biology of the platelet
Platelet function and thrombus formation
Vascular Endothelium in Thrombus formation
Overview of angiogenesis
Vascular biology of critical illnes
Part II: Current Trends in Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Cell signaling
Transcriptional regulation of the gene
Overview of genomics
Protein Synthesis
Organs on a chip
Post-translational modifications
Overview of proteomics
Mechanisms of vesicle secretion
Engineering tissues
Animal models of thrombosis

In addition to this course, trainees will attend the weekly Division meeting, where they will have the opportunity to present their work to other scientists in our field.  Trainees will also have access to a rich array of learning opportunities in hemostasis and thrombosis, vascular medicine, and hematology, including the Division of Hematology Seminar Series at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Weekly Hematology Case Conference and Seminar Series, and the Harvard Blood Scholars K12 Program Monthly Colloquium.

 

How to Join Us

We welcome qualified applicants at all levels of training. For those interested in the NIH T32 training program in Blood Coagulation and Vascular Biology, eligibility requirements include: 1) an advanced degree (MD, PhD, DVM, or DO), and 2) US citizenship or permanent residency (green card). Postdoctoral, graduate/medical student, and undergraduate research positions are also available outside of the T32 program. Interested candidates should contact Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft, MD, PhD at rflaumen@bidmc.harvard.edu.