• Department of Pathology
  • Pathology Staff
• Department of Laboratory Medicine
  • Laboratory Medicine Staff
• Affiliated Hospitals
  • Moffitt-Long
  • Mount Zion Medical Center
  • San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • San Francisco General
• Faculty
  • Pathology
  • Laboratory Medicine

Research and Clinical Interests

Activities in my research laboratory focus on the role of MPL signaling in megakaryocytopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell biology. This includes studies of the role of signaling through Raf kinase family members; Raf family members play a critical role in the classic MAP kinase pathway, an important component of MPL signaling. We have identified multiple rolls for B-Raf signaling in myelopoiesis, and are now exploring its role in myeloid malignancies. Our studies involve the use of murine models and human embryonic stem cells. The clinical laboratory participates in clinical trials in collaboration with the adult hematopoietic transplant program.

Selected Publications

• Eto, K, Murphy, R, Kerrigan, S, Bertoni A, Stuhlmann H, Nakano T, Leavitt AD, and Shattil, SJ. Megakaryocytes from embryonic stem cells implicate CalDAG-GEFI in integrin signaling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 99: 12819-24, 2002.
• Kamata T, Pritchard CA, Leavitt AD. Raf-1 is not required for megakaryocytopoiesis or TPO-induced ERK phosphorylation. Blood 103:2568-70, 2004.
• Kerrigan SW, Gaur M, Murphy R, Shattil SJ, and Leavitt AD. Caspase-12 expression in murine megakaryocytes requires NF-E2 and contributes to integrin IIb 3 signaling in platelets . Blood 104:381-96, 2004.
• Kamata T, Kang J, Lee TH, Wojnowski L, Pritchard CA, Leavitt AD. A critical function for B-Raf at multiple stages of myelopoiesis. Blood 106:833-40, 2005.
• Gaur M, Kamata, T, Wang S, Moran B, Shattil SJ, Leavitt AD. Megakaryocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells: a genetically tractable system to study megakaryocytopoiesis and integrin function. J Throm Haemost. 4:436-42, 2006.

• Professor; Medical Director, UCSF Adult Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy Laboratory; Assistant Director, UCSF Blood Bank
  
• Laboratory Medicine
• Cellular Therapy

Specialty Area

• Transfusion Medicine
• Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy

Contact Information

• leavitta@labmed2.ucsf.edu
• Phone: 415-514-3432
• Pager: 415-443-9457
• Fax: 415-514-3433

• 513 Parnassus Ave
• Room S-555; Box 0100
• San Francisco, CA 94143-0100

Other UCSF Organizational Association(s)

Progam

• Biomedical Sciences Graduate
• Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
• Hematologic Malignancies
• UCSF Cancer Center

Hospital Affiliation(s)

• Moffitt-Long