Jennell White
Office Address
540 E. Canfield, 6269 Scott Hall
Education
B.S., Chemistry, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, 2003
M.S., Basic Medical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 2005
Ph.D., Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 2011
Areas of Research
Our lab studies the regulation of red cell-endothelial interactions using mass spectrometry and flow-based adhesion assays. We focus on very late antigen-4 (VLA-4), one of the most characterized adhesion receptors in SCD that supports avid interactions between blood cells and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expressed on the vascular endothelium. VLA-4 can assume multiple activation states that are functionally regulated by signaling pathways to activate adhesion. The overall goal of our work is to understand the regulation of VLA-4 in red cells. This regulation may reveal novel, therapeutic targets to aid in the development of alternative therapies to reduce red cell-interactions in SCD. Current research topics include 1) relationship between VLA-4 activity and adhesion; 2) cell signaling pathways that are altered in SCD and modulated by hydroxyurea; 3) kinases; 4) biomarkers; 5) microfluidics.