Alexandra MAZHARIAN PhD Blood Cell Biology
Course and current status
Alexandra MAZHARIAN
Citizenship: French
Professional address: INSERM UMR_S1255, 810 rue Spielmann, 67065 Strasbourg, tel: 33-3-88-21-25-25 poste 6343
email: Alexandra.mazharian@efs.sante.fr; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0204-3325
CURRENT POSITION
Team leader at the INSERM Unit 1255, Etablissement Français du Sang Grand Est, Strasbourg, FRANCE
UNIVERSITY DEGREES:
2007 PhD in Blood Cell Biology, University Paris 7 Denis-Diderot, FRANCE
2003 Master in Blood Cell Biology, University Paris 7 Denis-Diderot, FRANCE
2000 Bachelor degree Life Sciences and Cell Biology, University Paris 12 Créteil, FRANCE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Since 2019 Team leader at INSERM UMR_S1255, Etablissement Français du Sang Grand Est, Strasbourg, FRANCE
2014-2019 Group leader Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, British Heart Foundation Research Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK
2010-2013 Post-doctoral fellow in Yotis Senis’s Lab, Institute of Cardiovascular, Birmingham Platelet Group, University of Birmingham,UK
2007-2010 Postdoctoral fellow in Steve Watson’s Lab, Institute of Cardiovascular, Birmingham Platelet Group, University of Birmingham,UK
GRANTS AND AWARDS
British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship, Birmingham, UK (2016 – 2020)
College of Medical and Dental Sciences PhD studentship, University of Birmingham, UK (2015 – 2018)
Medical Research Council PhD studentship, University of Birmingham, UK (2014 – 2017)
British Heart Foundation Project Grant, Birmingham, UK (2013 – 2017)
Wellcome Trust – Value Fellowship, UK (2010)
ORAL PRESENTATIONS – CONFERENCES AND ACADEMIC
Gordon Research Conference – Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes and Platelets, Galveston, USA (2019)
Platelet 10th International Symposium – Ramat Gan, Israel (2018)
XXVI ISTH Congress – Berlin, Germany (2017)
British Society of Hemostasis and Thrombosis meeting, UK Platelet Meeting, Leeds, UK (2016)
XXV ISTH Congress, Toronto, Canada (2015)
2nd EUPLAN platelet conference – Bischenberg, France (2014)
EXPERTISE ACTIVITIES:
Member of the Editorial Board of Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (2017-present)
Reviewer for scientific journals: Blood, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Platelets,
Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Scientific Reports,
Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Haematologica
Expertise activities for foreign funding agencies: British Heart Foundation (UK), Welcome Trust (UK), Rosetrees Trust (UK)
TEACHING ACTIVITIES:
Teaching : 2nd and 3rd Year Medical students, Vascular Biology and Hematology, Animal models, University of Birmingham, UK
Master students course: Megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis.
Supervision of Masters (2), PhD theses (2), Post-doctoral (1), technicians (4)
MEMBERSHIPS
International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis ISTH, British Society for Haematology (2012 – present)
The Biochemical Society, The British Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis (2008 – present)
French Society of Hematology SFH (2019 – present)
PATENT
UK Patent Application No. 1902590.7 (2019)
Control of platelet production and function by monoclonal antibody 17-4 to G6b-BScientific summary
I completed my PhD of Blood Cell Biology in the U689 INSERM Unit in Paris, France, from 2003 to 2007, demonstrating complementary roles of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), p38MAPK and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) in platelet adhesion, activation and thrombosis.
In September 2007, I joined the group of Professor Steve Watson, a pioneer in platelet signal transduction, at the University of Birmingham, UK, as a postdoctoral trainee, investigating novel signalling mechanisms regulating megakaryocyte (MK) development, platelet production and function. During this period, I characterized the role of MAPKs and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-containing receptor signalling in MK differentiation, migration and proplatelet formation. I also investigated the molecular basis of thrombocytopenia and haemorrhaging caused by the Src family kinase (SFK) inhibitor Dasatinib, used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
From 2011-2014, I was a postdoctoral trainee in the group of Professor Yotis Senis, the leading expert in platelet tyrosine phosphatases, at the University of Birmingham, investigating the roles of the novel platelet immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM)-containing receptor G6b-B and the protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) Shp1 and Shp2 in megakaryopoiesis.
In 2014, I was awarded a British Heart Foundation (BHF) Project Grant as a Principal Investigator (PI) at the University of Birmingham, that enabled me to establish my independent research group, where I characterized the molecular mechanism regulating MK and platelet hyperactivity in mice lacking the ITIM-containing receptors LAIR-1- and PECAM1. In 2016, I was awarded a BHF Basic Science Intermediate Research Fellowship that enabled me to expand my expertise in reversible phosphorylation, with a distinct line of research focusing on the role of MAPKs and dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) in platelet production and function. I also further developed my research on MK/platelet ITIM-containing receptors, investigating the role of TLT-1 in thrombosis and haemostasis.
In September 2019, I joined the INSERM Unit UMR_S1255 at the Etablissement Français du Sang in Strasbourg, France where I currently lead a research team investigating the functional roles of Shp1 and Shp2 in MK development in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms, where aberrant MK and platelet production is central to the pathology.
Over the past 10 years, I have established myself as an expert in signalling events regulating MK development, platelet production and function, with the overall objective of better understanding and targeting molecular mechanisms regulating platelet biogenesis in disease.
