Diagnostic Pathology
Diagnostic Testing for Bleeding and Thrombotic Disorders
Morayma Reyes Gil, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology
Director, Department of Pathology Hematology Laboratory
The Clinical Hematology/Coagulation Laboratory at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC), directed by Morayma Reyes Gil, MD, PhD, performs over one million clinical tests annually. These include CBCs, routine coagulation tests and highly complex, state-of-the-art tests to diagnose bleeding and thrombotic disorders. Dr. Reyes Gil is a physician-scientist experienced in basic, translational and clinical research in hematology and coagulation. She validates clinical assays to diagnose bleeding and thrombotic disorders, as well as monitoring of new anticoagulation therapies.
Current research areas include:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD): State-of-the-art tests to diagnose SCD and coinheritance with other hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias. Dr. Reyes Gil is developing a flow cytometry assay to measure expression of Hemoglobin F capable of differentiating pancellular (hereditary persistence of hemoglobin F) versus heterocellular (β thalassemia), which will improve classification of the SCD phenotype and may help predict risk of sickle cell crisis and complications. The Reyes Gil laboratory is also studying the mechanisms of hypercoagulability in SCD, namely acquired protein S deficiency in SCD.
- Platelet functional assays: State-of-the-art testing for diagnosis of platelet disorders and testing of new platelet activator and platelet inhibitor agents. Dr. Reyes Gil is developing new flow cytometry assays and whole blood assays to study platelet activation and their interaction with red and white blood cells.
- Coagulation factor assays: Daily testing for patients with bleeding conditions served at the Montefiore Hemophilia Treatment Center. Dr. Reyes Gil is developing new chromogenic factor assays to reliably monitor hemophilia patients treated with new drugs that cannot be measured with traditional clottable factor assays. The Coagulation laboratory performs a comprehensive panel for Von Willebrand Disease (VWD), the most common hereditary bleeding disorder, including an in-house VWF multimers assay. In collaboration with the MMC Molecular Laboratory, Dr. Reyes Gil is validating a VWF genetic sequencing assay to confirm most cases of VWD type II.
- Thrombophilia testing and anticoagulant monitoring testing for patients seen in the Einstein-Montefiore Thrombosis Prevention and Treatment Program: Dr. Reyes Gil is validating assays to monitor new oral anticoagulants (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban and dabigatran) and their antidotes. She is developing clinical assays to identify and measure neutrophil extracellular traps which are highly associated with infection, inflammation and thrombosis.