Lawrence Leung

Our long-term interest is to have a better understanding of the natural antithrombotic pathways and the pathophysiology of vascular thrombosis. We have focused on the biology of thrombin, the key enzyme in the clotting cascade. Using a library of thrombin mutants generated by site-directed mutagenesis, we have mapped the critical functional sites on thrombin for its interactions with its diverse substrates. We are studying a carboxypeptidase that plays a key role in the physiologic regulation of thrombin’s pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory properties. Using transcript profiling of human vascular endothelial cells, we have recently identified a novel endothelial cell surface protein, which may serve as a new disease marker. Our goal is to develop new antithrombotic agents and devise new diagnostic tests for vascular thrombotic disorders.