Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hello! My name is Dr. Hongxia Fu. I was a JGP research fellow from 2014 to 2016. I have a Master’s of Structural Engineering from Dalian University of Technology in China and received my PhD in Bioengineering from the National University of Singapore in 2007. I have been a research fellow in the lab of Dr. Timothy Springer at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard University since 2011. Currently, I’m also an assistant professor and research group leader at the University of Washington.
How did you hear about the JGP Fellowship?
I learned about it through the NHF website.
Wonderful! So, what did your research focus on?
My research project investigated why VWF travels in plasma in a globular form and then stretches when needed for hemostasis. I studied how the electrostatic interactions and forces in various flow conditions regulate VWF conformation and its ability stop bleeding using novel fluorescence-force-sensor and charge mutants. This work aimed to shed light on how the body responds to injury and potentially pave the way for more directed diagnosis and therapeutics.
How did the JGP Fellowship support your research at the time? Does it continue to influence your work now?
My JGP fellowship provided critical support to my postdoctoral training. It has encouraged me to continue my journey of exploration in bleeding disorders. Currently, I am leading a research group at University of Washington to study bleeding disorders and thrombosis. Without the JGP fellowship, all these would be hard.
The Judith Graham Pool Postdoctoral Research Fellowship has been supporting basic science and pre-clinical research to expand our understanding of bleeding disorders since 1972. Learn more here.
