Lan Gardner Coffman, Ph.D. Fifth Year MD/PhD Student – Third year, medical school, 2008-2009   Email address: lcoffman@wfubmc.edu   Education:   BS in Biology, minors in Chemistry and Statistics from Loyola College, Baltimore, MD 2003   Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University Graduate School of the Arts and Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 2008   Advisors: Suzy Torti, PhD and Frank Torti, M.D.

Current Research:  I am working on a novel interaction between the iron storage protein, ferritin, and a blood coagulation/inflammation protein, high molecular weight kininogen.  High molecular weight kininogen and its cleavage products, BK and HKa, modulate different aspects of inflammation and cancer.  My project focuses on understanding ferritin’s role in altering these processes and the resultant effect in human physiology and pathophysiology. Publications:   Coffman, LG, Brown, JC, Johnson, DA, Parthasarathy, N, D’Agostino, Jr RB, Lively, MO, Hua, X, Tilley, SL, Muller-Esterl, WP, Willingham, MC, Torti, FM, Torti, SV.  2008.  Cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen by elastase and tryptase is inhibited by ferritin. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, (January, 11 2008, Electronic publication ahead of print).  A. M. Collins , and L. M. Gardner. Partial Cytochrome b Sequences for Six Hymenoptera of the Eastern United States (2001) J Hered 92: 519-521. Honors and Awards:  2006   American Heart Association pre-doctoral  fellowship 2003   Carroll Medal in Biology, Loyola College 2002   Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship