Past and Present Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Katya Ravid, DSc, FAAAS and FAHA
Barbara E. Corkey Professor of Medicine; Professor of Biochemistry, Biology, Health Sciences; Founding Director, BU Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Office (BU IBRO); Founding Director, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (ECIBR); Investigator, Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute (WCVI); Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Dr. K. Ravid, trained at the Technion and MIT, is an Established Investigator and Fellow of the American Heart Association, has served on editorial and advisory boards and on ASH and Purines Scientific Committees, chaired local and national conferences, such as the Gordon Research Conference on cell biology of megakaryocytes and platelets, and is the recipient of several Awards in recognition of research and teaching, such as Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (CAMed) Educator of the Year Award in Graduate Medical Sciences, Sidney University Professorship Award, the Weizmann Institute Rosi and Max Varon Professorship Award, and as a long-standing ASMBM member was awarded the Fulbright Scholar Award.
Founding Director, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (http://www.bumc.bu.edu/evanscenteribr/)
Training Program Director, NHLBI-funded Training Program in Cardiovascular Biology (www.bumc.bu.edu/cardiograd)
Quote:
“Rewarding science is born out of creativity, tenacity and generosity.”
(Katya Ravid)
Past and Current Trainees
[Pre- and Post-Docs, followed by Undergraduate Students]
Past and Current Trainees |
Pre (PhD training) or Post-doctoral |
Training Period | Prior Academic Degree | Title of Research Project | Current Position (past trainees) Source of Support (current trainees) |
||
| Degree(s) | Year(s) | Institutions(s) | |||||
| Chen, Wen-Chen
|
Pre
(MA) |
1994-97 | MS | 1994 | Harvard School of Public Health | Thrombopoietin-inducible genes | Research Associate, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, HMS, Boston, MA; then Dental school, Dentist in CA |
| Frances, Cynthia**
|
Post | 1996-00 | PhD | 1996 | Boston University School of Medicine | Adenosine receptors in platelets and vascular smooth muscle | Senior Researcher and then consultant, Proctor & Gamble |
| Sun, Shinshin (Ivon)
|
Post | 1995-99 | PhD | 1995 | St. John University, NY | Regulation of the endomitotic cell cycle in megakaryocytes | Assistant Professor, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute Phytochemical Lab, Manhasset, NY |
| Thompson, Alex*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1995-99 | MS | 1990 | University of Coleraine, Ireland | Regulation of endomitosis in megakaryocytes | Professor of Blood Cancer and Stem Cells Director of Translational Medical Sciences University of Nottingham School of Medicine, UK |
| Zhao, Zhihui
|
Post
|
1994-00 | MD, PhD | 1993
|
Beijing Med. Univ., China | Adenosine receptors in platelets and vascular smooth muscle | Sr. Director, Antibody & Protein Discovery QLB Bio-therapeutics Inc. (2017-present);Sr. Scientist, Bioscience Technologies, Inc, Waltham, MA (2008-2017); Assistant Professor of Medicine, BUSM (2002-2008) |
| Zimmet, Jeffrey*
|
Pre
(MD/PhD) |
1995-98 | BS | 1993
|
Wesleyan Univ., CT | Regulation of the endomitotic cell cycle in megakaryocytes | Professor of Medicine, Univ California San Francisco; Interventional Cardiology, San Francisco VAMC |
| Cataldo, Leah
|
Post | 1995-97 | PhD | 1995 | University of Massachusetts | Thrombopoietin-induced genes | Dean, Science Department, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, Cambridge, MA |
| Hechler, Beatrice
|
Post | 1998-00 | PhD
|
1998
|
INSERM U.311 Etablissement Français du Sang-Alsace Strasbourg, FR. |
Overexpression of the P2Y1 receptor specifically in megakaryocytes and platelets from transgenic mice | INSERM Researcher, Univ. Strasbourg, France |
| Pierron, Anne
|
Pre
(MA) |
2001 | BA | Unknown | University of Nice, France |
Effect of adenosine analogs on cell growth | Research Associate, University of Nice, France |
| Jones, Matthew* P
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1999-03 | BA | 1996
|
University of Delaware | Regulation of ploidy in vascular smooth muscle and megakaryocytes | Associate Professor; Director, Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Boston University Med School |
| Kaluzhny, Yulia
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1996-01 | MS | 1990 | Moscow State Institute, Moscow, USSR | Lineage determination and apoptosis of megakaryocytes | Group Leader, MatTek Corp., Ashland, MA |
| Lu, Jun*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1997-03 | MSc | 1996 | Nanjing University, Nanjing, P.R. China | Nucleosome assembly proteins in hematopoiesis | Associate Professor of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine |
| Wang, Zenhngyu (Zack) *
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1994-98 | BS | 1990 | East China University of Chem. Technology
|
Transcriptional regulation of cyclin D3 in megakaryocytes; implication for cell maturation and platelet production | Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical School; Principal Investigator and ES Cell Core Director, Center for Molecular Medicine Maine Medical Center Research Institute (until 2012) |
| Yaar, Ron
|
Pre
(MD/PhD) |
1998-02 | BSc | 1996 | Boston University
|
Regulation of expression of the A3 adenosine receptor in the vasculature | Senior Pathologist, Aurora Diagnostics, North Carolina; (until 2010 was Assistant Professor, Director of Resident and International Dermatopathology Training Dermato-pathology, Boston Medical Center) |
| Zhang, Ying*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
1998-03 | MSc | 1988 | Univ. Science & Technol, Hefei, China, BSC, 1979, Shanghai Inst. of Biochemistry | Mechanism of thrombopoietin effect on platelet development | CEO of a Biotech start up in China (former Instructor of Medicine, Boston University, Med) |
| Dharmaraj, Chinnapen
|
Post | 1999-00 | PhD | 1994 | All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India | Regulation of polyploidy during hematopoiesis | Senior Researcher, Sema4, A Spinout Company of the Mount Sinai Health System; Previously at Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, Fort Myers, Florida |
| Nguyen, Hao*
|
Pre
(MD/PhD) |
2001-05 | BA | 1999 | Univ. of Cal. Berkely | The regulation of Aurora-kinase stability and role in polyploidy and cancer | Endowed Associate Professor of Urology, UCSF, CA; formerly Clinical Fellow, (Resident in Surgery until 2014), Univ. California Davis Medical Center |
| Yu, Guangyao
|
Post | 2000-02 | MD, PhD | 1997 | Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (MD; Tongji Medical University, China (PhD) | Control of megakaryocyte ploidy and apoptosis | Research Scientist, Tetralogic Pharmaceuticals, Malvern, PA
|
| St. Hilaire, Cynthia*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
2004-08 | BS | 2001 | Univ. of Vermont | Adenosine receptor function in the vasculature | Associate Professor of Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh (Postdoctoral Fellow, NHLBI till 2015) |
| McCrann, Donald Jr. *
|
Pre
(PhD) |
2004-08 | BS | 2001 | Yale University | Polyploidy and vascular function | Research Group Leader, IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, ME (Postdoctoral Fellow, Maine Medical Research Center (until 2011) |
| Liu, Kenian
|
Post | 2005-06 | PhD | 2002 | Univ. of Arkansas
Med Sci, |
Hematopoiesis and ploidy regulation | Assistant Professor of Oncologic Sciences, Moffitt Dept Hematopathology and Laboratory Medicine, FISH Laboratory Director, University of South Florida (prior: Researcher, UMDNJ, Center for Human and Molecular Genetics, Newark, NJ) |
| Makitalo, Maria
|
Pre
(MA) |
2005-07 | MA | 2004 | Sweden | Transcriptional signatures in lineage restricted genes | PhD researcher, Sweden |
| Yang, Dan
|
Post |
2004-09 |
MD, PhD |
2002 |
San Yat-Sen and Hunan Univ., China | The role of A2b adenosine receptors in inflammation and vascular pathology | Senior Staff Scientist, NHLBI |
| Papadantonakis, Nicholas
|
Pre
(MD/PhD) |
2007-10 | MD | 2006 | University of Crete | Regulation of polyploidy in bone marrow cells | Associcate Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama Med School; Formerly Hem/Onc Fellow, Cleveland Clinic |
| Burridge, Kelley | Post | 2010 | PhD | 2007 | Boston University | Oxidative Stress and megakaryocyte polyploidy | Investigator, FDA |
| Eliades, Alexia*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
2007-11 | BA | 2005 | University of Athens Greece | Bone marrow megakarypoiesis | Group Leader, University of Cyprus, Greece; (prior: Research Associate, University of Manchester, England) |
| Chen, Hongjie
|
Post | 2007-11 | PhD | 2000 | Chinese Academy of Sciences | The role of adenosine receptors is angiogenesis | Assistant Professor and Assistant Director, Clinical Genetics, Mt. Sinai Medical School, NY |
| Koupenova-Zamor, Milka*
|
Pre (PhD);
Then Post |
2005-10 (Pre); 10-11 (post) | BS | 2003 | Univ. of Cal.
Los Angeles |
The role of A2b adenosine receptors in vascular proliferation | Assistant Professor of Medicine, Cardiology Section, University of Mass Medical School |
| Bhupatiraju, Ajoy V | Post | 2010-12 | PhD | 2006 | India Tech Inst | Oxidase control of megakaryo-poiesis | Head, dept. of microbiology, Regional Research and analytical Laboratory A division of Ananda Enterprises (India) Pvt. ltd, AndhraPradesh, India |
| Johnston-Cox, Hlillary*
|
Pre (MD/PhD) | 2009-12 | BS | 2007 | Univ. of Cal. San Diego | The role of A2b adenosine receptors in vascular disease | Assistant Professor of Cardiology; formerly Fellow, U Penn; Formerly MD resident, Mt. Sinai Medical School, NY |
| Carroll, Shannon*
|
Pre
(PhD) |
2009-13 | BS, MA | 2004,
2007 |
University of Arizona | Adenosine receptors and stem cell niche | Instructor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Senior Scientist Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
| Eisenstein, Anna* | Pre (MD/PhD) | 2010-14 | BA | 2008 | Middlebury College | Adenosine receptors and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation | Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine;; Formerly, Medical Resident, Yale School of Medicine |
| Mi, Rongjuan | Post | 2012-15 | PhD | 12/2008 | Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
|
Control of BM matrix by megakaryocyte LOX
|
Research Scientist, BU Dental School |
| Patterson, Shenia** | Pre (MD/PhD) | 2012-16 | BS | 2010 | Spelman College, Atlanta | Molecular mechanisms of effects of adenosine on vascular tone | Internist (Internal Medicine), University of South Carolina, Somerville, SC; MUSC Health-University Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina |
| Lieva, Orly** | Medical Student | 2016-18 | BS | 2013 | Wright State University, Magna Cum Laude | Control of Bone marrow cell stem-induced myelofibrosis | Cardiology Fellow, NYU; Medical Resident, Harvard Med School and BWH; 2016 Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship; 2016 ASH Hematology Opportunities for the Next-Generation of Research Scientists (HONORS) Award |
| Ng, Seng Kah | Post Doc | 2016-18 | PhD | 2010 | Temasek Life Science Laboratory / National University of Singapore
|
Mechanosensing and megakaryocyte properties | Scientist , ALSTEM, INC San Pablo, California |
| Walker, Joshua | Post Doc | 2016-20 | PhD | 2016 | Boston College | LOX and uremic solutes control of thrombosis | Senior Researcher, Pfizer (MA branch) |
| Carla Mazzeo | Post Doc | 2018-2020 | PhD | 2010 | Autonomous University of Madrid
|
Megakaryocyte mechanosensor proteins | Research Scientist, Boston University School of Medicine |
| Ward, Christina | Post | 2018-2020 | PhD | 2016 | Augusta University | Matrix Mechanosensing by megakaryocytes | Research Scientist, Scientist, Gene Therapy Analytical Development, Sarepta Therapeutics, Andover MA |
| Thompson, Cristal** | Post | 2018-2020 | PhD | 2018 | University of Notre Dame | Primary myelofibrosis and thrombosis | Manager/Scientific Consultant Genedata, Inc, Lexington, MA |
| Gaye, Maissa** | Post | 2018-2021 | PhD | 2015 | Indiana University, Bloomington, IN | Primary myelofibrosis: Proteomics
|
Senior scientist, Chemistry R&D, Waters Corp, Milford MA Senior Scientist, GSK
|
| Karagianni, Katerina
|
Pre (PhD) | 2018-2023 | MS | 2018 | University of Crete, Greece | Megakaryocyte specific KO of LOX- implications for bone and PMF | Project Director, Biohaven/Pfizer MA |
| Yang, Xiaosheng | Pre | 2021-2023 | MS | 2020 | Boston University School of Medicine | Cardio-Oncology | PhD Student at TUFTS medical school |
| Lucero, Hector | Research Associate | 14-present | PhD | 1990 | University of Buenos Aires Argentina | Control of Bone marrow matrix by megakaryocyte LOX
|
In Dr. Ravid’s lab (part time) |
| Matsuura, Shinobu | Post
|
2011-2016 Post Doc; 2016-2021 Instructor; 2021-2205 Assist Prof |
DVM, PhD | 2006 | DVM: Universidade de Sao Paulo; PhD: University of Tokyo |
Megakaryocyte adhesion properties and significance for myelofibrosis | In Dr. Ravid’s lab; Post-Doc, Instructor, Assistant Professor of Medicine, BU School of Medicine (until 2025); Faculty in Cardiology & Vascular Biology Section, BUSM (2025-present) |
| Singh, Shiv | Post | 2024-2025 | PhD | 2020 | Weizmann Institute | Hematopoietic Stem Cell mutations | Associate professor in Chandigarh University (Top ranked private in India), Department of Biotechnology |
| Jose, Asha | Post | Feb 2023-Dec 2025 | PhD MA Pharma | 2014-2019; 2009-2011 | JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, India Karpagam College of Pharmacy Coimbatore, India |
Cardio-Oncology | Research Associate Postdoc at the Division of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, BIDMC, Harvard Medical School |
| Huang, Nasi | Post | 2021- | MD | 2010 | Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China | Hematopoietic Stem Cell mutations | In Dr. Ravid’s lab |
| Karkempetzaki, Iris | Pre (PhD) | 2022-2024 | MS | 2022 | University of Crete, Greece | Mechanosensing pathways | In Dr. Ravid’s lab and collaborative PhD thesis with Dermatology, Harvard Medical School |
| Zhang, Fengze | Pre | 2026- | Bachelor of Science in Biology | 2025 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Hematopoietic Stem Cell mutations | In Dr. Ravid’s lab |
| Xu, Yiwen | Post | 2024-2025 | MSc | 2025 | China | Megakaryocyte adhesion properties and significance for myelofibrosis | Research Associate, Boston University |
| Training Undergraduate Students | |||||||
| Esha Patel | Pre | 2025-2026 | BA | Boston University Biology | Mechanisms of Cardiotoxicity | Co-mentored with Camille Edwards | |
| Nathan Pan | Pre | 2025-2026 | BA | Boston University Biology | Multiplex Immunoassays for Kidney Biomarker Detection in Human Samples
|
Co-mentored with Sushrut Waikar | |
| Aastha Malpani
|
Pre | 2025 | BA | 2026 | Boston University Biology | Piezo1 control of megakaryocyte development | In Dr. Ravid’s lab up to graduation |
| Lucerne, Audrey | Pre | 2024-2025 | BA | 2025 | Boston University Sargent College/ Physiology | Adhesion Properties of hematopoietic stem cells | Accepted to a PhD program in Vanderbilt University (2025) |
| Jayashree Ganesan | Pre | 2023-2024 | BA | 2025 | Boston University Biology | Adhesion Properties of hematopoietic stem cells | Indian Institute of Science; Researcher (2025) |
| Zhang, Jiayin | Pre | 2023-2024 | BA | Dec/2024 | Boston University Biology | hematopoietic cells mechanosensing | Back in India |
| Brauer, Annabelle | Pre | 2024 | BA | 2026 | Boston University Biology | Properties of primary bone marrow cells | In Dr. Ravid’s lab up to graduation |
| Franco, Jose | Pre | 2024 | BA | 2026 | Boston University Biology | Properties of primary bone marrow cells | In Dr. Ravid’s lab up to graduation |
| Long, Sophia | Pre | 2022-2023 (UROP award recipient) | BA | Expected in 2023 | Boston University Biology | Role of ß integrin activation in myelofibrosis | In Dr. Ravid’s lab up to graduation |
| Piasecki, Andrew | Pre | 2018-2021 (UROP award recipient) | BA | 2021 | Boston University Biology | Primary myelofibrosis and thrombosis | PhD program, Northeastern University |
| Chang, Yu-Sheng- Ethan
|
Pre | 2016-2018 (UROP award recipient) | BA | 2018 | Boston University | Role of lysyl oxidase in meylofibrosis | graduate program |
| Orchard, Rachel | Pre | 2015-2017 | BA | 2017 | Boston University | Role of lysyl oxidase in meylofibrosis | graduate program |
| Stagaki, Eugenia | Pre | 2019 | MD | Expected 2023 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Primary myelofibrosis and thrombosis | |
| Terezaki, Eleni | Pre | 2014 | MD | 2020 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Adhesion properties of Megakaryocytes | |
| Kalarakis, George | Pre | 2014 | MD | 2020 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Adhesion properties of Megakaryocytes | |
| Kontakis, Michail | Pre | 2013 | MD | 2019 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Properties of megakaryocytes in myelofibrosis | |
| Tsagkaraki, Emmanouela | Pre | 2013 | MD | 2019 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Properties of megakaryocytes in myelofibrosis | |
| Kofopoulos – Lymperis, Efstratios | Pre | 2012 | MD | 2018 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Upregulation of Lysyl oxidase in megakaryocytes | |
| Koutsolelou, Alexandra | Pre | 2012 | MD | 2018 | Joint Program, BUSM and Univ. of Crete 7 years MD program | Upregulation of Lysyl oxidase in megakaryocytes | |
(*) Recipients of Awards; (**)Trainees from minority population