People
Hervé Falet, PhD
Principal Investigator
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Hervé joined the Versiti Blood Research Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin faculty in 2016 and was promoted to Investigator the following year. His primary research interests are associated with deciphering the cellular mechanisms and proteins regulating normal and abnormal blood platelet production and function.
Hervé received his MS in Molecular Pharmacology in 1993 and completed his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 1997 from Paris Descartes University in the laboratory of Dr Francine Rendu. His work focused on the role of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in platelet signaling and activation. His research was supported by fellowships from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Medical Research Foundation.
For his postdoctoral fellowship, Hervé joined the laboratory of Dr John Hartwig at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His research was associated with elucidating the role of cytoskeletal and scaffolding proteins, i.e., Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASp), WASp-interacting protein (WIP), the Arp2/3 complex, and filamin A (FlnA) in platelet production, function, and survival. Mice lacking WASp or its partner WIP develop mild thrombocytopenia with increased platelet clearance. FlnA anchors the Von Willebrand Factor receptor subunit GPIbα to the actin cytoskeleton and regulates signaling via the collagen receptor GPVI through a direct interaction with the protein tyrosine kinase Syk. Mice specifically lacking FlnA in megakaryocytes produce large and fragile platelets that function and circulate poorly.
His current studies focus on the cellular mechanisms and proteins regulating the extensive and unique intracellular membrane rearrangements that accompany megakaryocyte maturation and platelet production. His recent work defined two endocytic proteins, the F-BAR protein PACSIN2 and the large GTPase dynamin 2, as major players in the formation of the megakaryocyte demarcation membrane system.
Emily Boyd, MS
PhD Student
Emily is a Medical College of Wisconsin PhD candidate who joined the Falet Lab in February 2022 to complete her dissertation. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan and received a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Columbia University. Emily primarily studies endocytosis in megakaryocytes and platelets, focusing on the role of PACSIN2 and dynamin 2. In her free time, she enjoys watching films and skateboarding.
Students, Clinical/Research Fellows, and Faculty Mentored
High School Students
1997 – Nina Smolyar, Boston Latin School
2018 – Lazaro Vergara, Marquette University High School
2019 – Lucia Rondini, University School of Milwaukee
2023 – Anastasia Finley, University School of Milwaukee
Undergraduate Students
1999–2000 – Aileen Tiro, Boston University
2002 – Silke Ebbing, Ruhr University Bochum
2007 – Olivia Gaumétou, LaSalle Beauvais Polytechnic Institute
2007 – Delphine Simon, LaSalle Beauvais Polytechnic Institute
2008 – Thomas Bertin, LaSalle Beauvais Polytechnic Institute
2009 – Max Adelman, Cornell University
2009 – Guillaume Sertour, LaSalle Beauvais Polytechnic Institute
2017 – Emily Legan, Marquette University
2018 – Eric Fellin, Marquette University
2023 – Gabrielle Gooding, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
2024 – Naima Gaines, Howard University
Medical Students
2000–2002 – Gregory Chang, Now Professor, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
2004 – Harry Gebhard, Now Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon, Canton Hospital Basel-Land
2013 – Amalie Dahl Haue, Now Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Copenhagen
MSc Students
1994–1995 – Marc-Olivier Nallet, Paris Descartes University
1995–1996 – Sabine Pain, Paris Descartes University
1996–1997 – Abdelhafid Saci, Paris Descartes University
2005 – Anna Hendeby, University of Gothenburg
2006 – Galia Askarieh, University of Gothenburg
2010 – Terese Jönsson, University of Gothenburg
2011 – Shabnam Rezaie-Aval, University of Gothenburg
2012 – Julia Sjödin, University of Gothenburg
2013 – Nadia Jaber, University of Gothenburg
2013 – Behshte Azizi, University of Gothenburg
2014 – Emel Ahmet, University of Gothenburg
2019 – Demetra Korkos, Medical College of Wisconsin
2021 – Allison Gerk, Medical College of Wisconsin
PhD Students
2003–2007 – Emma Josefsson, Now Group Leader, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
2005–2009 – Viktoria Rumjantseva, Now Distribution Manager, Molecular Devices
2017–2021 – Nathan Eaton, Now Postdoctoral Researcher, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
2022–present – Emily Boyd
PhD Student Committees
2022–present – Anusha Rengarajan (Advisor: Kenichiro Taniguchi, PhD)
2023–present – Hongyin Yu (Advisor: Qizhen Shi, MD, PhD)
Postdoctoral Researchers
2007–2014 – Antonija Jurak Begonja, Now Associate Professor, University of Rijeka
2009–2014 – Renata Grozovsky, Now Clinical Research Manager, University of Miami
2010–2015 – Silvia Giannini, Now Director of Biology, Disc Medicine
2011–2013 – Hugh Kim, Now Associate Professor, University of British Columbia Centre for Blood Research
2012–2014 – Markus Bender, Now Professor, University Hospital Würzburg
2015–2022 – Melissa Lee-Sundlov, Now Senior Research Scientist, Vor Biopharma
2017–2022 – Leonardo Rivadeneyra, Now Research Scientist, Agios Pharmaceuticals
2018–2020 – Waseem Anani, Now Medical Director, University of Utah
2019–2024 – Ratnashree Biswas, Now Staff Specialist, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals
2023 – Daniel Afosah, Now Assistant Professor, University of North Texas
Faculty
2023–present – Mitchell Dyer, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin