Kathleen E. McGrath, Ph.D.

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.