Overview
The specific aims of my laboratory are:
1. To isolate and characterize RNA and DNA aptamers which block therapeutically relavent proteins such as those involved in cardiovascular diseases and immune modulation.
2. To develop RNA-based tumor targeting strategies for delivering siRNAs and miRNAs to tumor cells.
3. To reprogram cells using mRNA delivery.
4. To explore novel methods to control inflammation.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard Distinguished Professor of Experimental Surgery
·
2003 - Present
Surgery, Surgical Sciences,
Surgery
Professor in Surgery
·
2001 - Present
Surgery, Surgical Sciences,
Surgery
Director of the Duke Center for Translational Research
·
2004 - Present
Surgery,
Clinical Science Departments
Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
·
2012 - Present
Pharmacology & Cancer Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Professor of Neurosurgery
·
2019 - Present
Neurosurgery,
Neurosurgery
Professor of Cell Biology
·
2022 - Present
Cell Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
1994 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Publications
ECMO-induced coagulopathy: strategic initiatives for research and clinical practice (a workshop report of the NHLBI)
Journal Article Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis · May 2025 Full text CiteImproving Aptamer Affinity and Determining Sequence-Activity Relationships via Motif-SELEX.
Journal Article J Am Chem Soc · March 19, 2025 The affinity of nucleic acid aptamers isolated in vitro via Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) is often limited because the entire potential sequence space cannot be screened. In this study, we introduce Motif-SELEX, a novel ... Full text Link to item CiteAndexanet Alfa-Associated Heparin Resistance in Cardiac Surgery: Mechanism and In Vitro Perspectives.
Journal Article Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol · January 2025 BACKGROUND: Andexanet alfa (andexanet) is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved antidote for direct FXa (factor Xa) inhibitors but has been reported to cause resistance to unfractionated heparin (UFH). This has delayed anticoagulation for procedur ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NIAID
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2029Duke Research Training Program in Surgical Oncology
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Project 3: RNA Aptamers as Probes and Regulators of Coagulation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia · 2018 - 2029View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Cornell University ·
1990
Ph.D.