Hamm Lab

Education:
Bachelor of Science, Loyola University Chicago, 2010

Research Interests: 
Platelet hyperactivity is associated with increased blood clot formation, leading to heart disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading killers in the US. Even with successes treating cardiovascular disease, advances and novel therapeutic options are needed to reduce thrombotic risk associated with platelet hyperactivity. A clinical observation has shown that treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) leads to a bleeding phenotype and reduced platelet aggregation. SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed treatment for depression and depression has a direct correlation with development of cardiovascular disease. This was recently emphasized in statement released by the American Heart Association officially classifying depression as a risk factor for poor outcomes following acute coronary syndrome. Further examination of the serotonergic system in platelet reactivity is needed. My research suggests that peripherally active SSRIs could be used as a potential new treatment for platelet hyperactivity through modulation of the serotonergic signaling system. In particular, we believe that this occurs through 5HT2A receptor biased signaling, modulating  integrin dependent adhesion.

Publications:

Kendra H Oliver, Tammy Jessen, Emily L Crawford, Chang Y Chung, James S Sutcliffe, and Ana M Carneiro. Pro32Pro33 Mutations in the Integrin β3 PSI Domain Results in αIIbβ3 Priming and Enhanced Adhesion: Reversal of the Hypercoagulability Phenotype by the Src Inhibitor SKI-606. Mol Pharmacol 2014 Jun;85(6):921-31.