The major focus of my laboratory is the Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), a relatively common cause of acquired thrombophilia and pregnancy morbidity and mortality.  In APS, autoantibodies directed against certain phospholipid-binding plasma proteins (ß₂-glycoprotein I and prothrombin) appear to play a direct role in pathophysiology of hypercoagulability.  For example, we have found that anti-ß2GPI autoantibodies induce the expression of tissue factor on monocytic cells.  Current studies are aimed at elucidating the pathways and molecular mechanisms by which these autoantibodies interact with cells and cause a procoagulant phenotype. 

Our major clinical project is the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Collaborative Registry (APSCORE).  APSCORE is a multicenter disease registry established by NIH and based here at UNC-CH.  The goal of APSCORE is to support a broad range of research projects on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of APS.  APSCORE has enrolled over 900 subjects nationally and maintains a detailed clinical database and tissue repository for serum, plasma, and DNA specimens.