Email

sarah.sartain@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor

Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Core Faculty

Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID)
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

Texas Children's Hospital, Mark Wallace Tower (Clinic)

6701 Fannin St
14th floor
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (832) 822-4362

Professional Statement

As an academic pediatrician-scientist, my overarching career goals are to advance knowledge that will improve the health of children with bleeding and clotting disorders and educate the next generation of pediatric hematologists. I study the mechanisms of complement activation, thrombosis, and inflammation as it relates to endothelial injury in a basic science laboratory. Caring for children with thrombotic disorders clinically drives my research, and I am particularly determined to better my own patients’ dismal outcomes. I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology and Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. Clinically, I direct the robust Hemostasis and Thrombosis program at Texas Children’s Hospital, running a team of providers to treat patients with bleeding and clotting disorders. As one of the largest pediatric hematology and oncology training programs in the country, I have the pleasure of teaching medical students, residents, and fellows the key concepts related to the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of bleeding and clotting disorders at the bedside, and the responsibility of mentoring students and post-doctoral fellows in the execution of sound research in the laboratory. I strive to promote a culture of lifelong learning and provide the highest quality clinical, research, and educational mentorship to ensure trainees reach their fullest potential.

As part of my ongoing effort to identify therapeutic pathways for complement thrombotic disorders, I have investigated the basic biology of endothelial cell function in the laboratory and made several key findings: 1) the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor activates the alternative complement pathway in microvascular endothelial cells; 2) there are key differences in the regulation of complement in various types of organ-specific microvascular endothelial cells, which helps us understand why complement-mediated diseases cause more severe injury in some organs (e.g. the kidney) more than in others (e.g. the brain); 3) patients with transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy demonstrate significant alternative complement pathway activation during their disease course, and 4) von Willebrand factor is a surface for alternative complement pathway activation in thromboinflammation. Currently I am studying complement activation and endothelial injury in cell and mouse models of disease so that I may translate my findings into effective therapies for my patients. My research and clinical exposure have allowed me to become a local expert in inflammatory complement disorders, and as my career progresses, I will become a national and international authority on the treatment of these disorders.

Websites