People
Dr. Erica Sparkenbaugh (Link to Bio) grew up in western Pennsylvania and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Allegheny College. She obtained her PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology at Michigan State University, with a research focus on mechanisms of Drug-Induced Liver Injury. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill with Dr. Rafal Pawlinski, then became an Assistant Professor of Medicine and member of the UNC Blood Research Center in 2019. She has funding from NHLBI and previously from the American Society of Hematology. Dr. Sparkenbaugh will join the faculty of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in September 2024.
Dr. Nirupama Ramadas (Link to Bio) grew up in Karnataka, South India. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Botany and Microbiology and Master’s degree in Biochemistry from University of Mysore, India. She was awarded a PhD degree in Zoology at University of Mysore, India. Her doctoral studies were focused on investigating the effect of chronic stress on glucose metabolism and isolating a compound from Indian Ayurvedic herb that suppresses hypothalamo – pituitary – adrenal axis. She obtained a Young Scientist Fellowship from the Department of Health Research, India. She did postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Hershey Medical Center with Dr. Pingnian He on exercise physiology. Currently she is working with Dr. Erica Sparkenbaugh at UNC Blood Research Center. Her project is focused on examining the role of APC/PAR1 signaling in sickle cell disease.
Ashlyn Lowery (Link to Bio) is a recent graduate from NC State University in Animal Science. She is from Concord, NC. Ashlyn is planning to go to graduate school after getting research experience. Her project will be investigating thrombotic complications in beta thalassemia.
Undergraduates
(Kirsten) Zoey Yeboah (Link to bio) is is an undergraduate research student from Winston Salem, NC. Zoey attends UNC as a Biology major and assists with tasks around the lab like hemoglobin genotyping and slide staining. Zoey plans to graduate in May of 2027 with the goal of going to medical school.
Sharon Wang is an undergraduate research from Cary, NC. Her project investigates the role of estrogen on platelet aggregation and red blood cell sickling. She will graduate in May 2025 with a goal of going to medical school.
Former Lab Members:
Joshua Dutton graduated in May 2024 from UNC. Josh played a big part in several projects and is co-author on two papers. Josh is now a graduate student in the UNC BBSP starting in August 2024.
Jen Newcome, MD was a clinical fellow who did her research in Dr. Sparkenbaugh’s lab. Her work investigated the link between hormonal contraception and venous thrombosis risk in women with sickle cell disease. Dr. Newcome is now as Assistant Professor of Pediatric Hem/Onc at the University of Illinois Peoria.
Kailyn Lowder, BS was an undergraduate researcher who worked with Dr. Sparkenbaugh. Ms. Lowder graduated in May 2023 and is now in the UNC Exercise Physiology master’s program, with a goal of entering a physician-scientist (MD-PhD) program upon graduation.
Christina Abrams, MD was a clinical fellow who did some of her research with Dr. Sparkenbaugh. Dr. Abrams will be the Director of the Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Clinic at MUSC in Charleston, SC starting June 2022!
Megan Miller, MS was a research technician from March 2020 – Feb 2022. Megan is now working as a laboratory technician at AOA Dx in Denver CO.
Laiya Clemons was a research technician in the lab. She is an ECU alum and helped us manage the lab and our large mouse colony.
Sparkenbaugh Lab in Spring 2022. (L to R): Kailyn Lowder, Laiya Clemons, Erica Sparkenbaugh, Nirupama Ramadas. Photo Credit: Shatadal Ghosh.