Nesbitt Group – Haematology Micro-platforms

2019 Nesbitt group L-R: Dr Crispin Szydzik, Dr Warwick Nesbitt

Research Goals

To develop and apply lab-on-chip 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 part of an ongoing collaboration between The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases and the School of Engineering, RMIT University. This collaborative multidisciplinary group is 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, drug screening systems, biophotonic sensor development for blood biomarkers, 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,

• School of Engineering, RMIT
• Dist Prof Arnan Mitchell, Micro Nano Research Facility, RMIT
• Prof Harshal Nandurkar, Vascular Biology Laboratory, ACBD
• A/Prof Justin Hamilton, Platelets and Thrombosis Laboratory, ACBD
• Prof Ivan Marusic, Marusic Laboratory, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, UoM
• 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
• Sticky cells: Understanding and modelling platelet binding in blood
  Investigators: Harvie D, Dunstan D, Nesbitt W. Muir I, Dower S.
  Funding: (2016 - 2019). ARC Linkage Grant LP160100786

Select Publications

• 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 microfluidics device to monitor platelet aggregation dynamics in response to strain rate micro-gradients in flowing blood
  Tovar-Lopez FJ, Rosengarten G, Westein E, Khoshmanesh K, Jackson SP, Mitchell A, Nesbitt WS.
  Lab Chip. 2010 Feb 7;10(3):291-302
• 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.