Tina Cowan

Clinical Focus

• Pathology
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Administrative Appointments

• Board of Directors, American Board of Medical Genetics (2006 - 2011)
• Laboratory Quality Assurance Committee, American College of American Genetics (2003 - 2007)
• Faculty Senate, Stanford University School of Medicine (2005 - 2008)
• Committee on Courses and Curriculum, Stanford University School of Medicine (2006 - present)

Professional Education

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Genetics

Current Research Interests

Translational research activities are aimed at the development of new laboratory testing approaches for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with inborn errors of metabolism. In particular, a tandem-mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based test for glutathione, an important antioxidant, is being applied to the evaluation of patients with various metabolic disorders including mitochondrial myopathies. Results of these studies will further our understanding of the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases, with the ultimate aim of improving patient testing and developing new theraputic strategies.

Publications

• An improved LC-MS/MS method for the detection of classic and low excretor glutaric acidemia type 1. Moore T, Le A, Cowan TM. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2011
• Commentary. Cowan TM, Clin Chem. 2011; 57 (4): 548-9
• The role of vanin-1 and oxidative stress-related pathways in distinguishing acute and chronic pediatric ITP. Zhang B, Lo C, Shen L, Sood R, Jones C, Cusmano-Ozog K, Park-Snyder S, Wong W, Jeng M, Cowan T, Engleman EG, Zehnder JL. Blood. 2011; 117 (17): 4569-79
• Technical standards and guidelines for the diagnosis of biotinidase deficiency. Cowan TM, Blitzer MG, Wolf B. Genet Med. 2010; 12 (7): 464-70
• Inherited disorders affecting mitochondrial function are associated with glutathione deficiency and hypocitrullinemia. Atkuri KR, Cowan TM, Kwan T, Ng A, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA, Enns GM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009; 106 (10): 3941-5