Research Output Prize 2024 – Gemma Little

Immobility-associated thrombo-protection is conserved across mammalian species from bear to human

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a blood clot occurs within a vein. DVT is commonly triggered by immobilisation. Curiously, long-term immobility does not trigger DVT and the reason for this was not previously understood. In this study, it was discovered that long-term immobilisation changes the levels of a protein in blood platelets, and this prevents DVT. Gemma helped determine the molecular mechanisms that explain this process by producing conditional transgenic mice that lacked the protein and studying their platelets and megakaryocytes.

Gemma Little is a Research Assistant in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Reading and winner of the University’s 2024 Research Output Prize (Agriculture, Food & Health theme) for her paper as co-author published in Science: ‘Immobility-associated thrombo-protection is conserved across mammalian species from bear to human’.