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Keenan Research Centre

Scientist Profiles

John W. Semple

PhD, Queen's University

Affiliations

Scientist in the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital

Head, Transfusion Medicine Research, Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group, St. Michael's Hospital

Senior Staff Scientist, Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital

Professor, Pharmacology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto

Adjunct Scientist, Canadian Blood Services

Research Interests

Transfusion/platelet immunology, pathophysiology of immune thrombocytopenias, mechanism of action of IVIg/anti-D, transfusion-related acute lung injury

Selected Publications

Link to Pub Med

Research Activities

My research is aimed at understanding the cellular immune mechanisms responsible for generation of both auto- and allo-IgG antibodies that recognize platelet antigens. These mechanisms can be exploited to develop immune-specific therapies which suppress these clinically significant immune responses. We are interested in how platelet antigens are processed and presented by antigen-presenting cells to T lymphocytes and how these intracellular biochemical events control platelet immunity. The pro-inflammatory nature of platelets that may be responsible for adverse reactions from platelet transfusions is also of interest, particularly how platelet Toll-like receptor expression modulates innate immune mechanisms. We are also studying the mechanisms that intravenous gammaglobulin and anti-D preparations utilize to increase platelet counts in immune thombocytopenic disorders.

Other Activities

1. Chair, Scientific track committee, American Association of Blood Banks Annual Meeting Education Program Unit
2. Member, Editorial Board, Transfusion
3. Member, Editorial Board, American Association of Blood Banks Press
4. Member, Scientific Working Group on Thrombocytopenias, European Hematology Association
5. Member, Medical Advisory Board, Platelet Disorder Support Association, Bethesda, MD

Educational Activities

I am a full member of graduate studies in the departments of Pharmacology, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and have an active research program for training graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. I currently supervise two post-doctoral fellows and two research assistants.

Contact

Phone: 416-864-5534
Fax: 416-864-3053
E-mail: SempleJ@smh.ca
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/johnsnotes/index.html