Principal Investigators
 | Joseph Italiano is the James and Thea Stoneman Associate Professor of Surgery in the Field of Vascular Biology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Florida State University under the supervision of Thomas Roberts. His thesis focused on how filament assembly and bundling contributes towards cell crawling in the amoeboid sperm of Ascaris. In 1998, Dr. Italiano transitioned into hematology-based research as a postdoctoral fellow under John Hartwig at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he began studying how blood platelets are produced, which remains a focus of his work as a principal investigator in the Vascular Biology Program at the Boston Children’s Hospital. |
 | Kellie is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Principal Investigator in the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. She completed her PhD in the lab of Dr. Alisa Wolberg, investigating the relationships between procoagulant plasma proteins, platelet activity, and thrombotic risk. She then did postdoctoral training in the lab of Dr. Joseph Italiano, researching cell biological pathways leading to platelet formation from megakaryocytes (MKs). |
Lab Members
 | Ethan Walsey Ethan earned his BS in Biology from Tufts University in 2024 and joined the Machlus Lab as a Research Assistant shortly after graduating. His research focuses on understanding megakaryopoiesis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the regulation of thrombopoiesis in transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Ethan has a strong interest in advanced imaging approaches, particularly three-dimensional electron microscopy, to investigate megakaryocyte architecture and intercellular interactions within the bone marrow microenvironment |
 | Virgina Camacho Virginia Camacho received her PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the lab of Robert Welner where she focused on Treg regulation of the bone marrow microenvironment and the application of T cell-based therapies in myeloid malignancies. Her current research seeks to dissect the effects of Tet2 age-associated somatic mutations on megakaryocyte and platelet dysfunction in the context of aging. |
 | Siobhan Branfield Siobhan Branfield received her medical degree at Uzhhorod National University before doing her PhD in the lab of A.V Washington laboratory at Oakland University. During her PhD she focused on the role of a specific platelet receptor, Trem like transcript 1 (TLT-1) - and its interaction with fibrinogen during inflammation. Her current work as a postdoctoral fellow in the Italiano laboratory focuses on understanding the role of megakaryocytes and platelets in Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI). |
 | Olivera Milaidnović Olivera Milaidnović received her MSc and PhD at Sorbonne University in Paris, France, in the lab of Dr. Thierry Jaffredo and Dr. Charles Durand. Her PhD focused on molecular identity of the embryonic hematopoietic stem cells aortic niche and its role in regulation of HSC emergence in the dorsal aorta during early embryo development. Her current project is focused on the developmental megakaryopoiesis in placenta as well as megakaryocyte role in early development. |
 | Maria Barrachina Maria received her BS biotechnology degree from the University of Valencia, Spain, in 2014, followed by her M.Sc in R&D drugs from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in 2015. After that, she conducted her Ph.D in the lab of Prof. Angel Garcia at Center of Molecular medicine and chronic diseases (CiMUS), Santiago de Compostela. During her Ph.D, she studied the effect of obesity on platelet reactivity using a combination of proteomic, biochemical and functional approaches in order to elucidate potential anti-atherothrombotic targets in this pathology. Moreover, she collaborated on other projects such as studying the CLEC-2 signaling pathway by phosphoproteomics, lipid rafts composition following CLEC-2 and GPVI activation and identifying novel inhibitors against GPVI and CLEC-2 receptors. Maria’s current work in the Machlus laboratory focuses on elucidating the role of fatty acids in megakaryopoiesis and platelet production. Apart from work, Maria spends her time doing some hobbies like going skiing with her husband, spinning(with Isabelle, and working on her garden at Victorian Fenway Gardens. |
 | Rolf Bekendam Rolf Bekendam received his MD at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and obtained his PhD in Vascular Pathology at Aix-Marseille University/INSERM under the supervision of Christophe Dubois and Robert Flaumenhaft (BIDMC). His doctoral research investigated the role of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) inhibition in thrombosis and the regulation of vascular thiol isomerases by S-nitrosylation. Now an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and attending hematologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Rolf specializes in coagulation and benign hematology, with clinical focus on (immune) thrombocytopenia, thrombotic disorders, and complex anticoagulation. His research interests center on megakaryocyte pathophysiology in immune thrombocytopenia and translational approaches to thrombosis and thrombocytopenia. |
 | Muhammad Bennani Muhammad Bennani earned his BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Johns Hopkins University before joining The Italiano Lab in February 2026. With a strong background in molecular biology, he is eager to expand his expertise into megakaryocyte and platelet biology across diverse disease contexts. His current research projects span developmental megakaryopoiesis, the effects of DNA damage on megakaryopoiesis, and the distinct role of platelets in transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Looking ahead, Muhammad is committed to making meaningful contributions within the field. |