Skip to main content
Explore URMC
menu

Kathleen E. McGrath, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Office: (585) 275-5073

Research Labs

Faculty Appointments

Biography

Research

Dr. McGrath's research interests are:

1) Emergence of hematopoiesis in murine embryo and ES/iPS cells
2) Recovery of hematopoiesis post radiation
3) Imaging flow cytometry for examination of rare populations
4) Roles of early erythroid-myeloid progenitors during embryogenesis

Dr. McGrath is a Research Assistant Professor working within Jim Palis' research group. Her research interests are in how the hematopoietic system assembled both initially in the embryo and during repair after radiation damage in the adult. She applies that paradigm to the development of the blood system in the mouse embryo where overlapping waves of stem cells emergence, each with different lineage and self-renewal potentials. Similarly, regeneration of hematopoiesis in irradiated adult bone marrow is regulated through compartments of blood cells precursors and progenitors with differential sensitivities and responses to damage. Her work relies on prospectively discriminating these cells with different potentials and understanding the signaling that has determined their fate.

Recently, Dr. McGrath has focused on a unique embryonic hematopoietic progenitor with potential for short term production of erythroid and myeloid cells that can also be identified in embryonic stem cells and can function when transfused in adults. Additionally, her studies of recovery of hematopoietic stem cells as well megakaryocytes after radiation are addressing mitigation of short term thrombocytopenia as well as long term stem cell dysfunction. These studies have benefited from her expertise in flow cytometry including pioneering the use of imaging flow cytometry in analysis of development and repair from the most primitive progenitors to mature blood cells focusing on erythroid and megakaryocyte lineages.

Credentials

Education

1983
BA | Reed College
Biology

1987
MS | University of Rochester
Biology

1993
PhD | University of Rochester
Biology

Awards

2007
Leon Wheeless Innovation in Cytometry Award
Sponsor: Western NY Flow Users Group
Location: University of Rochester Medical School

Publications

Journal Articles

3/23/2023
Maurya P, Ture SK, Li C, Scheible KM, McGrath KE, Palis J, Morrell CN. "Transfusion of Adult, but Not Neonatal, Platelets Promotes Monocyte Trafficking in Neonatal Mice." Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.. 2023 Mar 23; Epub 2023 Mar 23.

2/9/2022
Nemkov T, Kingsley PD, Dzieciatkowska M, Malik J, McGrath K, Hansen KC, D'Alessandro A, Palis J. "Circulating primitive murine erythroblasts undergo complex proteomic and metabolomic changes during terminal maturation." Blood advances.. 2022 Feb 9; Epub 2022 Feb 09.

8/17/2021
Zhang Y, McGrath KE, Ayoub E, Kingsley PD, Yu H, Fegan K, McGlynn KA, Rudzinskas S, Palis J, Perkins AS. "Mds1, an inducible Cre allele specific to adult-repopulating hematopoietic stem cells." Cell reports.. 2021 Aug 17; 36(7):109562.

Books & Chapters

1984
Chapter Title: Polyamine Stress: A Variable Nonspecific Component of Disease?
Book Title: Polyamines: Basic Clinical Aspects
Author List: Campbell RA, McGrath KE
Edited By: AE Inahori et al
Published By: VNU Science Press 1984 in The Netherlands

VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS