Lawreen H. Connors, PhD

Emeritus Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Connors received dual undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics from Boston College, a master’s degree in Chemistry from Tufts University, and doctoral degree in Biochemistry from Boston University. She joined the Amyloidosis Center as a post-doctoral trainee in 1994, and obtained faculty appointments in the Departments of Biochemistry and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine in 1998 and 2009, respectively.
Dr. Connors focuses her basic science research on uncovering the protein and genetic determinants that underlie the formation of amyloid. The early stages of her career featured structural analyses of amyloid-causing transthyretin (TTR) mutants, mainly those causing cardiac dysfunction. More recently, her studies have been focused on wild-type TTR amyloidosis, an age-related disease now recognized as an under-appreciated cause of heart failure in the elderly. She has received continuous support from the NIH and foundation grants, as well as industry-sponsored research agreements, and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scholarly articles and book chapters.
In 2009, Dr. Connors played a major role in establishment of the Amyloid Pathology Diagnostic Testing Laboratory in the Amyloidosis Center, a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified facility that offers histologic and molecular testing for amyloid. Dr. Connors teaches GMS classes on systemic amyloidosis, and has mentored more than 20 master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral students. She has served on multiple local, national and international committees, and is Director of the Amyloidosis Center Gerry Laboratory and Co-Director of the Amyloid Pathology Diagnostic Testing Laboratory.

Publications

  • Published 7/24/2023

    Madhani A, Sabogal N, Massillon D, Paul LD, Rodriguez C, Fine D, Helmke S, Winburn M, Kurian D, Raiszadeh F, Teruya S, Cohn E, Einstein AJ, Miller EJ, Connors LH, Maurer MS, Ruberg FL. Clinical Penetrance of the Transthyretin V122I Variant in Older Black Patients With Heart Failure: The SCAN-MP (Screening for Cardiac Amyloidosis With Nuclear Imaging in Minority Populations) Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Aug; 12(15):e028973. PMID: 37486082.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/13/2023

    Ghosh S, Villacorta-Martin C, Lindstrom-Vautrin J, Kenney D, Golden CS, Edwards CV, Sanchorawala V, Connors LH, Giadone RM, Murphy GJ. Mapping cellular response to destabilized transthyretin reveals cell- and amyloidogenic protein-specific signatures. Amyloid. 2023 Dec; 30(4):379-393. PMID: 37439769.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/22/2023

    Klimtchuk ES, Peterle D, Bullitt E, Connors LH, Engen JR, Gursky O. Role of complementarity-determining regions 1 and 3 in pathologic amyloid formation by human immunoglobulin ?1 light chains. Amyloid. 2023 Dec; 30(4):364-378. PMID: 37216473.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/17/2023

    Ruberg FL, Blaner WS, Chiuzan C, Connors LH, Einstein AJ, Fine D, Helmke S, Kurian D, Pandey S, Raiszadeh F, Rodriguez C, Sabogal N, Teruya S, Winburn M, Chung WK, Cohn E, Miller EJ, Kelly JW, Maurer MS. Design and Rationale the SCAN-MP (Screening for Cardiac Amyloidosis With Nuclear Imaging in Minority Populations) Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Apr 18; 12(8):e028534. PMID: 37066788.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/3/2023

    Klimtchuk ES, Peterle D, Bullitt EA, Connors LH, Engen JR, Gursky O. Role of Complementarity-Determining Regions 1 and 3 in Pathologic Amyloid Formation by Human Immunoglobulin ?1 Light Chains. bioRxiv. 2023 Feb 03. PMID: 36778378.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 108 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Amyloidosis Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Boston University, PhD
  • Tufts University, MS
  • Boston College, BS

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