News & Events | Puget Sound Blood Center Researcher Wins Grant from National Institutes of Health

Puget Sound Blood Center Researcher Wins Grant from National Institutes of Health

More than a half million dollars to fund independent research and career development for Blood Center scientist

AUGUST 27, 2003, SEATTLE — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded Puget Sound Blood Center researcher Brian Lannutti, Ph.D., a $670,000 grant to fund his research into bleeding disorders. The five-year Career Development Award supports Dr. Lannutti’s work as a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Jonathan Drachman, M.D., Puget Sound Blood Center senior investigator and University of Washington Assistant Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Lannutti’s research concentrates on understanding signal transduction and its role in platelet disorders. Signal transduction is the process by which cells interact with their environments and communicate with each other. The research, in particular, focuses on megakaryocytes – the cells responsible for creating platelets – the blood component essential to stop bleeding. Signal transduction is critical for these cells to grow, differentiate and function properly.

This research has the potential to provide therapeutic strategies for bleeding disorders and even some kinds of leukemia, potentially improving the quality of life for thousands of people.

“The NIH award is an exciting development for our laboratory and provides an opportunity to continue our basic lab work, which is fundamental to finding future cures,” said Dr. Lannutti. “The grant will enable us to continue studying how certain critical blood cells function. Our findings may help other researchers develop sophisticated medical therapies or medicines for those with bleeding disorders, blood cancers or other diseases.”

As an internationally recognized research organization, Puget Sound Blood Center has played a role in many medical advances related to blood and tissue transplantation, storage and testing. It is though grants, such as that awarded by the NIH, which help the Blood Center contribute to evolving medical knowledge.

“The Blood Center is proud of its long history in the advancement of blood and tissue research,” said Sherrill Slichter, M.D., executive vice president of research at Puget Sound Blood Center. “Dr. Lannutti represents the caliber of researchers we are attracting to the organization to continue this mission. The NIH award allows him to continue his career development as a researcher and, of course, serves to further the Blood Center’s contributions.”

Dr. Lannutti received his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Vermont, and has been doing his research as a post-doctoral fellow at the Blood Center since 2001. Prior to coming to the Blood Center, he served as a graduate research fellow in the department of biology at the University of Vermont and a research associate at Northwestern University Medical School. In addition to his NIH grant, Dr. Lannutti has received the Ronald Suitor Award in 1997 and the National Science Foundation Research Fellow Grant in 1999.

About The Puget Sound Blood Center
Internationally recognized for groundbreaking research in transfusion and transplantation medicine, the nonprofit Puget Sound Blood Center is the resource for patients in Western Washington who need blood, tissue and specialized laboratory services. Founded in 1944, the Blood Center has a long and unique tradition of blending community volunteerism, medical science and research to improve patients’ lives. The Blood Center, which serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in 14 counties with blood services, provides tissue and transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest.