Image

Plateletae: haemostasis et ultra

Abstract

Beyond their canonical role in haemostasis, platelets are now recognised as dynamic immune and inflammatory cells that shape host defence, thrombosis, tissue injury, and regeneration. This presentation will highlight our recent work investigating how platelet activation pathways contribute to acute pathophysiological states relevant to immune disorders and cancer, with a focus on mechanisms that may be therapeutically targeted or exploited as biomarkers of disease activity. I will also discuss emerging studies examining the molecular regulation of platelet production and the increasingly appreciated role of platelets in modulating haematopoietic stem cell viability, stress responses, and engraftment following transplantation. Together, these studies position platelets not simply as mediators of haemostasis, but as active regulators of inflammation, immunity, and haematopoietic recovery.

Biography

Elizabeth received her PhD in Biochemistry from Monash University and completed a 5-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland OH USA. She leads a group of scientists at ANU evaluating platelet biochemistry and platelet receptor function, particularly relevant to both thrombosis and bleeding in patients. She identified a novel mechanism for shedding of vascular receptors triggered by shear stress, enabling new capabilities in diagnostic and therapeutic reagent development. A more recent focus has been to evaluate molecular mechanisms and novel drugs that drive platelet production. She has authored more than 200 research publications and is a Fellow of the American Heart Association and on the Research Committee of Red Cross Blood Services (LifeBlood) Australia. She is co-Editor in Chief of Platelets Journal, a Senior Associate Editor at Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, and on the Editorial Board of Blood. She led the Platelets and Megakaryocytes theme at the 2024 International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Congress and was Chair of the 2023 Gordon Conference on Platelets and Megakaryocytes. She is a past Treasurer of the Australian Vascular Biology Society.