Nesbitt Group – Haematology Micro-platforms

2020 Nesbitt group L-R: Ms Nurul (Aisha) Abidin Zainal, Dr Warwick Nesbitt, Dr Crispin Szydzik

Research Goals

To develop and apply lab-on-chip micro-platform technologies to understand the mechanotransduction mechanisms underlying thrombosis & haemostasis and to develop novel preclinical and clinical diagnostic systems.

Research Overview

The Haematology Micro-Platforms Group is a multidisciplinary group focused on the development of novel lab on a chip, microfluidic, and sensor systems in conjunction with basic research focussed microfluidic platforms.

Key research areas are clinical haematology diagnostics, automated microfluidic drug screening systems, and fundamental research into blood platelet mechanotransduction

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the group, we have several key collaborators across clinical, biomedical, industrial and engineering disciplines including,

• A/Prof Justin Hamilton, Platelets and Thrombosis Laboratory, ACBD
• Dist Prof Arnan Mitchell, Micro Nano Research Facility, RMIT
• Prof Harshal Nandurkar, Vascular Biology Laboratory, ACBD
• Prof Ivan Marusic, Marusic Laboratory, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, UoM
• Prof Andrew Ooi, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, UoM
• Prof Stephen Duffy, Heart Centre, The Alfred Hospital
• Planet Innovation Pty Ltd

Projects & Grant Funding

For current project opportunity descriptions please visit our honours page, or contact Warwick Nesbitt directly.

Our work is funded by the ARC, and NHMRC.

• Development of a microfluidic blood platelet analyser
  Investigators: Nesbitt W., Mitchell A., Nandurkar H. H., Hamilton J., Thompson P., Tran H.
  Funding: (2019 - 2021). NHMRC Development Grant 1153716
• Targeting a novel anti-platelet mechanism for improved anti-thrombotic therapy
  Investigators: Hamilton J, Thompson P, Nandurkar H, Andrews R, Nesbitt W. Funding: (2018 - 2021). NHMRC Project Grant 1144210

Select Publications

• Active Micropump-Mixer for Rapid Antiplatelet Drug Screening in Whole Blood.
  Szydzik C, Brazilek RJ, Akbaridoust F, de Silva C Moon M, Marusic I, Ooi ASH, Nandurkar HH, Hamilton JR, Mitchell A, Nesbitt WS. Anal Chem. 2019 Aug  20;91(16):10830-10839
• Elastomeric microvalve geometry affects haemocompatibility
  Szydzik C, Brazilek RJ, Khoshmanesh K, Akbaridoust F, Knoerzer M, Thurgood P, Muir I, Marusic I, Nandurkar H, Mitchell A, Nesbitt WS.
  Lab Chip. 2018 Jun 12;18(12):1778-1792.
• Application of a strain rate gradient microfluidic device to von Willebrand's disease screening
  Brazilek RJ, Tovar-Lopez FJ, Wong AKT, Tran H, Davis AS, McFadyen JD, Kaplan Z, Chunilal S, Jackson SP, Nandurkar H, Mitchell A, Nesbitt WS.
  Lab Chip. 2017 Jul 25;17(15):2595-2608.
• A shear gradient-dependent platelet aggregation mechanism drives thrombus formation
  Nesbitt WS, Westein E, Tovar-Lopez FJ, Tolouei E, Mitchell A, Fu J, Carberry J, Fouras A, Jackson SP.
  Nat Med. 2009 Jun;15(6):665-73.