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Maha Othman, MD, MSc, PhD

Professor: Laurentian University/St. Lawrence College Collaborative (BScN) Nursing Program, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Adjunct Assistant Professor: Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario

Adjunct Assistant Professor: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, OntarioEmail:

othman(at)queensu.ca

Qualification:

MD Mansoura University, Egypt, Nov 1990

MSc in Clinical Pathology (Haematology), Mansoura University, Egypt, May 1995

PhD in Pathology, Southampton University, Southampton, UK, July 2003

Previous Training/Positions:

Postdoctoral training at Dr. David Lillicrap’s research Lab, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Oct 2003-Feb 2005.

Senior Research Associate, Dr. David Lillicrap ‘s group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. Mar 2005-Aug 2009

Clinical training in Haematology/ Haemostasis (3 years residency), Mansoura University, Egypt

Research Interests:

Hemostasis has always been the most attractive area of research to me. Three major areas are the focus of my interests: Molecular genetics and diagnosis of Platelet type and type 2B Von Willebrand disease, Thromboelastography as a global haemostatic test in haematological and non haematological diseases and Platelet- adenovirus interactions. Specific research interests/ projects include:

Platelet type- von Willebrand disease (PT-VWD):

Mutations in the platelet GPIBA gene causing this rare autosomal dominant bleeding disorder. I have identified and characterized a novel mutation in the macroglycopeptide region of the GPIBA gene in three members of a British family with PT-VWD phenotype and currently pursuing a study to address the question of under- diagnosis/ miss diagnosis of PT-VWD among the closely similar type 2B VWD disease. The result of this study has a critical implication on diagnosis and treatment of both disorders. I am also coordinating an international project for the differential identification between the two closely similar disorders type 2B and PT-VWD based on genetic analysis. For more info refer to http://www.pt-vwd.org/

Thromobelastography (TEG) studies:

We have demonstrated a wide inter and intra individual variations in the TEG pattern in hemophilia A dogs. We have also shown that acute exercise improves the global hemostatic efficacy in those hemophilic animals as shown by the changes in their TEG patterns. We evaluated the role of thromboelastography as a sensitive hemostatic tool to monitor the rFVII treatment in hemophilia A dogs.We are also investigating the role of TEG in determining haemostatic abnormalities in two medical conditions: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and pre eclampsia. We are studying the TEG changes following inspiratory occlusion in anaesthetized rats to model OSA and also in LPS- treated pregnant rats to model pregnancy complication.

Platelet- adenovirus interactions

We investigated the mechanism of acute thrombocytopenia that follows adenovirus administration and approaches to prevent this adverse effect. We have demonstrated a novel expression of CAR on platelets and a critical role for the platelet P-selectin and the VWF protein in mediating adenovirus induced platelet clearance and I am currently studying the detailed adenovirus/ platelet interactions (binding/ internalization) both in vitro using human platelets and in vivo using mice platelets.

Publications

Othman M, Chirinian Y, Hegadorn C, Powell S, Hopman W , Lillicrap D. Thromboelastography reflects global hemostatic variation among severe haemophilia A dogs at rest and following acute exercise. Hemophilia 2009 1-9.

Othman M, Favaloro EJ. Genetics of type 2B von Willebrand disease: “true 2B,” “tricky 2B,” or “not 2B.” What are the modifiers of the phenotype?.Semin Thromb Hemost. 2008 ;34(6):520-31.

Qadura M, Waters B, Burnett E, Chegeni R, Bradshaw S, Hough C, Othman M, Lillicrap D. Recombinant and plasma-derived factor VIII products induce distinct splenic cytokine microenvironments in hemophilia A mice. Blood. 2009 May 1.

Qadura M, Othman M, Waters B, Chegeni R, Walker K, Labelle A, Ozelo M, Hough C, Lillicrap D. Reduction of the immune response to factor VIII mediated through tolerogenic factor VIII presentation by immature dendritic cells. J Thromb Haemost. 2008 (12):2095-104.

Othman M. Differential identification of PT-VWD from type 2B VWD and GP1BA nomenclature issues. British Journal of Haematology, 2008; 142 (2): 312-314

Othman M. Platelet-Type von Willebrand Disease and Type 2B von Willebrand Disease: A Story of Nonidentical Twins when Two Different Genetic Abnormalities Evolve into Similar Phenotypes Semin Thromb Hemost 2007; 33: 780-786

Othman M, Elbatarny HS, Byrne CD, and O’Shaughnessy DF. Von Willebrand Factor Short Sequence Repeat Locus 2 (Intron 40) Consists of Three Polymorphic Subloci. Acta Hemaologica 2007,117(3):177-80.

Othman M, Labelle A, Mazzetti I,Elbatarny HS, Lillicrap D: Adenovirus induced thrombocytopenia: the role of P-selectin and von Willebrand factor in virus- mediated platelet clearance. Blood 2007, 109(7):2832-9.

Paula D. James, Colleen Notley, Carol Hegadorn, Jayne Leggo, Angie Tuttle, Shawn Tinlin, Christine Brown, Chandler Andrews, Andrea Labelle, Yvette Chirinian, Lee O’Brien, Maha Othman, Georges Rivard, Dilys Rapson, Christine Hough, David Lillicrap, for the Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada, The mutational spectrum of type 1 von Willebrand disease: results from a Canadian cohort study Blood 2007;109: 145-154.

Othman M, Notley C, Lavender FL, White HE, Byrne CD, Lillicrap D and O’Shaughnessy DF: Identification and functional characterisation of a novel 27bp deletion in the macroglycopeptide-coding region of the GPIb alpha gene resulting in platelet-type von Willebrand Disease. Blood 2005 105(11):4330-4336.

Selected Abstracts

Othman M, Chegeni M, Vickars L, Favaloro EJ, Lillicrap D. Functional Characterization of Three VWF- A1 Domain Mutations Causing Type 2 von Willebrand Disease. American Society of Hematology Dec 2009 New Orleans (poster)

Othman M, Renaud S, Quirt J, MacDonald-Goodfellow S, Graham C. Thromboelastography Reveals Kinetics of LPS- Induced Coagulopathy and Correlates to Fetal Outcome in a Rat Model of Pregnancy Complications. American Scoiety of Hematology Dec 2009. (abstract)

Maha Othman, Margareth Ozelo, Hannah Brown, Jayne Leggo, Colleen Notley, Emmanuel Favaloro, Said Enayat, Juan Pablo Frontroth, Anne Angelillo, Hedy Smith, John Olson, David Lillicrap. Canadian Platelet-type von Willebrand disease (PT-VWD) project: Progress and update ISTH, Boston July 2009 Oral presentation.

Ellen MScepansky, Hedy Smith, Maha Othman. Acquired von Willebrand syndrome with a type 2B phenotype: diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. ISTH, Boston July 2009 poster presentation (received award; among top third at the conference)

Othman M, Gordon S P, Iscoe S. Thromboelastographyic Evaluation of Hemostasis in Rat Model of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. International Society of thrombosis and hemostasis . ISTH, Boston July 2009 poster presentation.

Othman M, Powell S and Lillicrap D. Thromboelastographic monitoring of individual hemostatic responses following rFVIIa administration in hemophilia A dogs. World Federation of Hemophilia WFH Conference. Istanbul, Turkey June 2008 (poster presentation).

Othman M, Labelle A, Mazzetti I, Lillicrap D: Dexamethasone Promotes Transgene Expression and Supresses the Early Immune /Inflammatory Response in Adenovirus- Mediated Gene Delivery to Hemophilic Mice. The American Society of Hematology conference ASH, San Deigo , USA 2005.

Platelet Type von Willebrand Disease

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