Written by Maame Dei, BA in Biology, MD candidate, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and participant in the 2024 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program
As a trainee in the cardiovascular disease & hematology (RADIANCE) track, I had the incredible opportunity to have Kristen Sanfilippo, MD, MPHS as my mentor. Professor Sanfilippo is a hematologist whose research interest focuses on venous thromboembolism and anticoagulation. The project I am working on focuses on the outcomes associated with anticoagulant initiation in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).
Venous thromboembolism is the third leading cause of vascular deaths in the United States. Venous thromboembolism occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein usually originating in the lower extremities. Venous thromboembolism includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. PE is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality globally. PE can lead to death if it is not treated immediately. PE is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death ahead of stroke and coronary artery disease.
Learning more about the clotting cascade and the mechanism of anticoagulation has been more fun than I had anticipated. Due to the limited time in medical school, there isn’t enough time to cover a lot of topics in detail. But it’s been a great experience to dive deeper in certain hematologic topics such as blooding disorders, thrombosis among others. It has been a remarkable experience being immersed in outcomes research which is different from my experiences in the wet lab.
Prior to this program, I had never thought about pursuing a career in hematology although I am interested in certain hematologic disorders. However, being surrounded with passionate, hardworking, and intelligent women like Professor Sanfilippo, and Bria, and Xiong has ignited an interest hematology. While working with Professor Sanfilippo I met Kelsey Bria, MD and Jia Qi Xiong, MD both primary authors on different projects. It has been empowering to be surrounded by such wonderful physicians and researchers. I look forward to continuing working on the project with the team and learning more to enhance my medical training experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful program and to learn from extraordinary researchers and physicians at Washington University.