Dr. Christian Kastrup

Dr. Christian Kastrup, Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a member of the CBR has been awarded a prestigious award from Grand Challenges Canada to develop an inexpensive treatment for bleeding that eventually may be used by non-experts. His novel approach involves using procoagulant nanoparticles and delivering these at a high velocity “upstream” into the circulation, such that they may penetrate deep into areas of bleeding. Such easy and rapid approaches to acutely manage bleeding that may occur as a complication of pregnancy or following trauma, are urgently needed, particularly in centres where sophisticated surgical interventions are not immediately available.

Christian joined UBC, the Michael Smith Laboratories and the CBR in 2011, having completed a postdoc at MIT in Boston, and receiving his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago. With this highly competitive award, Christian and his talented team will be able to identify the appropriate combinations of particle size and propellants, validating the system in small animal models. We fully expect that this will lead to more successes, and opportunities to bring this remarkably promising therapy into the clinic.

Congratulations, Christian!!

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