2023

The Bergmeier Lab attends the 2023 Biochemistry and Biophysics Retreat in Durham, NC. David Rocco presents a poster of his work and Abigail Ballard Kordeliski is invited to present a talk showcasing her work.

The Bergmeier Lab

Abigail Ballard Kordeliski Presenting at the Biochemistry & Biophysics Retreat 2023

The Bergmeier lab said Farewell to two of our post-doctoral research associates, Jean Marie Mwiza and Nazli Deger. Good luck in your future scientific endeavors!

Nazli and Jean Marie

Dr. Jean Marie Mwiza accepts a teaching position at Durham Tech and NC A&T. Congratulations Jean Marie! 

Jean Marie

Aleksei Martianov joins the lab as a postdoctoral research associate. Alexey earned his PhD in Biophysics from Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics in Moscow and will study platelet intracellular signaling. Welcome Alexey!

Alexey

Dr. Jean Marie Mwiza presented at this year’s ISTH in Montreal, Canada in June.

Abby presents on megakaryocytes at the GCR in Lucca, Italy in March

Abby is awarded an F31 grant. Congrats Abby! 

Abby

2022

Jean Marie Mwiza defends his doctoral dissertation to earn his PhD. He has joined the lab as a postdoctoral research associate. Congrats Dr. Jean Marie Mwiza!

Dr. Jean Marie Mwiza

The Bergmeier Lab attends the 2022 Biochemistry and Biophysics Retreat in Durham, NC. Abby, Nazli, and David present posters of their work!

The Bergmeier Lab

Matthew Vander-Ploeg joined the lab as a PhD-MD student. He graduated with a BS in Physiology from Michigan State University. Welcome Matthew!

Matthew

David Rocco is awarded an NIH Training Grant (T32) from the Integrative Vascular Biology Program. Congrats David!

David

The Bergmeier lab is happy to welcome their newest member, Research Technician, Summer Jones!  Summer graduated from UNC in 2022 with a BS in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Chemistry.  Welcome Summer!

Summer

Jean Marie has cover art selected for the May 26th Issue of Blood!

David Paul is promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

Congratulations to Gracie Clark and Wyatt Schugg!  Gracie and Wyatt will join graduate school in fall 2022 at UNC and UVA, respectively.  Good luck on your future scientific endeavours!

Gracie

Wyatt

Gracie Clark wins Best Poster Award at 10th Symposium on Hemostasis: Coagulation, Platelets and Transfusion Medicine!  Congrats Gracie!

Abby, Gracie, Wyatt, Jean Marie and Bobby present their work at the 10th Symposium on Hemostasis.

 

Nazli Deger joins the Bergmeier lab as Postdoctoral Research Associate.  Nazli earned her PhD at UNC in 2022 in Biochemistry and Biophysics and will work on elucidating the signaling mechanisms in megakaryocytes.  Welcome Nazli!

Nazli

 

2021

Congrats to Bobby Lee for receiving a 2-year grant from the Ehlers-Danlos Society for his project entitled, “Investigating Intrinsic Platelet Dysfunction in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome”!

Bobby Lee, David Paul, Jean Marie and Abigail Ballard present their work at the XXVIII Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Philadelphia, USA.

Bobby Lee’s work on the “Loss of the Rap-GAP, Rasa3 Leads to Severe Thrombocytopenia Primarily due to αIIbβ3 Integrin-dependent Platelet Clearance in the Spleen” is highlighted at ISTH.

Members of Bergmeier lab help establish the UNC Biochemistry and Biophysics Environmental Task Force to spearhead the “Green Labs Initiative”. Way to go!

Wolfgang Bergmeier, Dalia Fleifel, Abigail Ballard, Holly Shepherd

David Paul receives 2020 Biochemistry and Biophysics Staff Excellence Award.

David Rocco joins the Bergmeier Lab to earn his PhD!  Welcome David!

David

The Bergmeier Lab welcomes Gracie Clark and Wyatt Schugg!  Gracie and Wyatt graduated from UNC in 2021 and will pursue their interest in research as Research Technicians.

Gracie

Wyatt

 

2020

Congrats to Jean Marie for earning a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship for his project, “Determining the Platelet Signaling Pathway(s) Critical in Venous Thrombosis Pathogenesis”.

Congrats to Gracie Clark, UNC Entrepreneur, for her contributions to the invention of the “Pipette Pal”!

The Bergmeier Lab is seeking a new Postdoctoral Fellow!  Click Here!

Bobby Lee wins the 2020 Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Prize in Thrombosis.

 Maximilian Bazil graduates with Highest Honors for his work (with Bobby Lee) on understanding the mechanisms of antibody-mediated thombocytopenia.

Abigail Ballard joins the Bergmeier Lab to earn her PhD!  Welcome Abby!

Abby

Bergmeier and Campbell labs collaborative research makes cover of JTH.

Bobby Lee is promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

Jean Marie Mwiza receives a prestigious Predoctoral Fellowship From American Heart Association (AHA)

Wolfgang Bergmeier is named Director of Graduate Studies for Biochemistry and Biophysics.

Wolfgang Bergmeier completes training to be a “Certified Mentor”

American Society of Hematology Selects Robert H Lee to Receive 2020 Scholar Award (2020-2022)

 

2019

Bobby Lee leads study, published study in Science and Translational Medicine, state-of-the-art imaging to visualize how healthy and dysfunctional platelets interact at the site of injury.

Dorsaf Ghalloussi wins “Best Postdoc Talk” at 2019 Biochemistry and Biophysics Department Retreat.

Wolfgang Bergmeier is promoted to full professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

Bobby Lee and Dorsaf Ghalloussi Awarded an Early Career Travel Grant, XXVII Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Melbourne, Australia.

Jean Marie Mwiza presents his work at the 2019 Mid-West Platelet, Oklahoma City, OK.

Gabe Harousseau, graduates with Highest Honors for his work (with Dorsaf Ghalloussi) establishing a protocol for intravital imaging of megakaryocytes in bone marrow.

Jean Marie Mwiza is awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association.

Bobby Lee awarded top poster presentation at Gordon Research Conference on the Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes and Platelets, Galveston, TX.

Dorsaf Ghalloussi awarded “Best Ranked Abstract” at 2019 Gordon Research Conference on the Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes and Platelets, Galveston, TX.

Wolfgang Bergmeier chairs Gordon Research Conference on the Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes and Platelets, Galveston TX.

Bergmeier Lab relocates to newly renovated Mary Ellen Jones Building

Wolfgang Bergmeier, Bobby Lee and Lucia Stefanini contribute a book chapter, “Platelets, fourth edition“.

Wolfgang Bergmeier awarded NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35)

 

2018

Dorsaf Ghalloussi wins “Best Poster” at the 9th Symposium on Hemostasis: Advances in the Clinical and Basic Sciences of Coagulation.

Jean Marie Mwiza is awarded an NIH Training Grant (T32) from the Integrative Vascular Biology Program.

Jean Marie Mwiza joins the Bergmeier Lab to earn his PhD. Welcome Jean Marie!

Adarsh Rao graduates with Honors for his work (with David Paul) in developing a flow cytometry test with the potential for identifying patients with an elevated risk of thrombosis.

 

2017

Aaron Cook, under the direction of John Sondek and Wolfgang Bergmeier, successfully defends his dissertation entitled, “Calcium-Induced Activation of Calcium and Diacylglycerol-Regulated Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (CalDAG-GEFI)”

Bergmeier Lab has cover art selected for August issue of “Blood Advances”.

Bobby Lee and Dorsaf Ghalloussi are awarded Young Investigator Awards from the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis at Berlin, Germany.

Wolfgang Bergmeier becomes Associate Editor for “Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis”

Bobby Lee presents his work, “Mechanisms of Thrombocytopenia in Mice Lacking the Rap1 GAP Rasa3”, at the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department Seminar Series.

Wolfgang Bergmeier, Bobby Lee and Lucia Stefanini contribute a book chapter, “GTPases”, to “Platelets in Thrombotic and Non-Thrombotic Disorders”.

 

2016

Wolfgang Bergmeier becomes training faculty member in the Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum at UNC.

Wolfgang Bergmeier joins Editorial Board of “Blood Advances”.

Katie Poe earns the 2016 Biochemistry and Biophysics “Star Heel” Award for her outstanding contributions to UNC.

katie-star-heel

Bobby Lee is granted a T32 post-doctoral Trainee Fellowship in Hematology at UNC.

 

2015

Aaron Cook co-establishes the Academic Research-Intensive Career Association (ARIC) which works through the Training Initiatives in Biomedical and Biological Sciences (TIBBS) at UNC.  https://www.facebook.com/Academic-Research-Intensive-Career-Association-1026093474146309/

David Paul and Raymond Piatt win travel awards to the 2016 Thrombosis and Hemostasis Symposium of North America at Chicago IL.

Raymond Piatt is awarded “Best Poster” at 8th Symposium on Hemostasis at Chapel Hill.

Caterina Casari and Raymond Piatt are awarded Young Investigator Awards from the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis at Toronto, Canada.

 

2014

Wolfgang Bergmeier becomes Associate Professor with Tenure in Biochemistry and Biophysics

Yacine Boulaftali finalist for the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Prize in Thrombosis of the American Heart Association

Yacine Boulaftali receives UNC Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence

Wolfgang Bergmeier becomes Principal Editor for the journal “Platelets

Caterina Casari receives 3-year fellowship from the European Hematology Association for studies on platelet clearance and function in Von Willebrands Disease type 2B

Caterina Casari receives Travel Award to visit the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America (THSNA) in Chicago, IL.

 

2013

Wolfgang Bergmeier awarded the Investigator Recognition Award, Biennial Awards for Contributions to Haemostasis (BACH) from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Yacine Boulaftali receives Sabin Travel Award from the McAllister Heart Institute to visit the XXIV Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Lucia Stefanini and Yacine Boulaftali receive Junior Investigator Travel Awards to visit the XXIV Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Lucia Stefanini awarded the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Prize in Thrombosis of the American Heart Association

Wolfgang Bergmeier receives funding from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to lead a team of UNC investigators to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying the CalDAG-GEFI/Rap1 signaling module

Wolfgang Bergmeier becomes Associate Editor for Thrombosis Research

 

2012

Firdos Ahmad receives Mannucci Award for best articles published in 2011 by the Journal of Thrombosis and Hemostasis

Lucia Stefanini promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill

Yacine Boulaftali receives ATVB 2012 Travel Award for Young Investigators for his abstract “Immunoreceptor Tyrosine Activation Motif Signaling in Platelets is Critical for the Maintenance of Vascular Integrity During Inflammation” (ranked in the top 10 percent of accepted abstracts)

Todd Getz awarded postdoctoral fellowship on T32 training grant in hematology

Lucia Stefanini receives URC Research Award from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Yacine Boulaftali awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association to investigate the role of CalDAG-GEFI in atherosclerotic plaque development and atherothrombosis

Lucia Stefanini awarded EHA-ISTH Joint Fellowship for studies on the fine tuning of Rap1 signaling in platelets

Brandi Reeves awarded postdoctoral fellowship on T32 training grant in hematology

 

2011

Bergmeier lab moves from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia to UNC, Chapel Hill

Lucia Stefanini, Moritz Solla, and Firdos Ahmad receive U.S. New Investigator Travel Awards to visit the XXIII Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis in Kyoto, Japan

Moritz Stolla awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association to investigate the role of CalDAG-GEFI in venous thrombosis

Yacine Boulaftali awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the French Foundation for Medical Research to investigate the role of CalDAG-GEFI in atherosclerotic plaque development and atherothrombosis

Wolfgang Bergmeier receives NIH funding to lead a team of investigators to develop novel strategies for the prevention of FcgammaRIIA-mediated platelet activation and thrombosis

Wolfgang Bergmeier receives research support from Bayer Schering Pharma AG to investigate CalDAG-GEFI as a target for the next generation of anti-platelet drugs

Wolfgang Bergmeier joins Editorial Board of the journal “Thrombosis Research”

 

2010

Lucia Stefanini receives award for best poster presentation at the Postdoctoral Research Symposium, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia

Moritz Stolla and Firdos Ahmad receive travel awards from the American Society of Hematology to visit the 52nd annual meeting in Orlando, Florida; Moritz Stolla serves as co-chair of the special interest session on “Platelet Activation”

Wolfgang Bergmeier awarded Innovative Research Grant from the American Heart Association to identify novel modifiers of platelet activation

 

2009

Lucia Stefanini receives award for best oral presentation at the Postdoctoral Research Symposium, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia

Lucia Stefanini receives award for best poster presentation at the 51st annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans, LA

Lucia Stefanini receives travel awards from Thomas Jefferson University and the American Society of Hematology to visit the 51st annual meeting in New Orleans, LA

Wolfgang Bergmeier awarded the Kenneth M. Brinkhous Prize in Thrombosis of the American Heart Association

Wolfgang Bergmeier receives Scholar Award for Junior Faculty in Basic Science from the American Society of Hematology

 

Members of Bergmeier lab help establish the UNC Biochemistry and Biophysics Environmental Task Force to spearhead the “Green Labs Initiative+. Way to go!