 |
| Sarah Luu presenting her poster at the recent CCS graduate symposium |
Monash medical student Ms Sarah Luu was recently recognised for
her outstanding research into blood clot risk after surgical removal of the
spleen, receiving the prestigious Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ RC
Bennett Prize.
Undertaken while a BMedSc(Hons) student at the School of Clinical
Sciences at Monash Health (SCS), Sarah’s research investigated the role
platelets play in forming blood clots after splenectomy (surgical removal of
the spleen).
“After
splenectomy there is both an increased risk of infection and thromboembolism
(clots) in the short and long-term,” Sarah said.
“While infection risk is
well characterised and understood, the risk of thromboembolism is poorly
understood, and currently there aren’t any recommended measures for prevention
of clots.”
Sarah found that platelets
in splenectomised individuals exhibit a unique phenotype, which is a likely
factor in the increased risk of clotting.
“With this information we
plan to further investigate with the aim of identifying a target in which we
can utilise existing therapies or create new therapies for clot prevention in
splenectomised individuals,” Sarah said.
Sarah is continuing her research, having commenced a PhD under the
supervision of Associate Professor Ian Woolley, Monash InfectiousDiseases and Associate Professor Rob Andrews, Australian Centre
for Blood Diseases, Central Clinical School.
Sarah acknowledges the support and help of her supervisors,
co-supervisors and co-investigators: A/Prof Ian Woolley (Monash Infectious Diseases), A/Prof
Robert Andrews (ACBD), Dr Zane Kaplan (Monash Haematology/ACBD), Dr Claire
Dendle (Monash Infectious Diseases), Dr Ashwini Bennett (Monash
Haematology/ACBD). In addition, she also thanks Korrina Alonso, the Andrews Lab
(Jing Jing and Cheryl Berndt), Monash Pathology, AMREPFlow, Hamilton Lab
(ACBD).
No comments:
Post a Comment