Assistant Professor of Biology gets grant for research on blood clotting

Assistant Professor of Biology gets grant for research on blood clotting
westrick
Westrick will use the $10,000 grant to research a gene associated with blood clotting.

Medical research company Aniara Diagnostica recently rewarded an Oakland University Assistant Professor of Biology with a $10,000 grant to research a gene that affects the blood clotting process.

 

Randal Westrick, who works in the university’s Department of Biological Sciences, received the 2015 Coagulation Research Grant in January.

 

The grant will go towards Westrick’s research into how a certain gene plays a role in the blood clotting process.

 

“The formation of blood clots in the veins is a life-threatening situation,” said Westrick. “Although this condition is hereditary, little is known about the genes and molecules involved.”

 

Westrick said that his team has recently identified a mutation in a gene called Actr2 that plays a major role in blood clotting, but still don’t know exactly how it affects the process.

 

“The grant generously provided by Aniara Diagnostica will be used to perform detailed molecular and biochemical studies to identify how Actr2 affects the blood clotting process,” said Westrick.

 

Each year, Aniara Diagnostica gives away $10,000 for research specializing in hematology and coagulation. This year, the company is asking for projects dealing with EDS – Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – and its effects on hematosis and thrombosis.

 

For more information about Oakland’s Department of Biological Sciences, go to oakland.edu/biology. To learn how to apply for the yearly Aniara Diagnostica Coagulation Research Grant, visit aniara.com/Aniara-Grant/About-the-Grant.aspx.