Christian Kastrup

Christian Kastrup is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia's Michael Smith Laboratories and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He also holds affiliations with the Medical College of Wisconsin and Versiti Blood Research Institute. Dr. Kastrup's research focuses on hemostasis and thrombosis, developing novel therapies using biochemical engineering and nanomedicines. His work includes engineering platelets for enhanced clotting, self-propelled hemostatic particles, and RNA-based gene therapies. He has received grants from the NIH, US Department of Defense, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, Postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. Research interests span bioengineering, thrombosis modulation, and translational therapies for severe hemorrhage. Key projects include CounterFlow gauze for trauma bleeding and mRNA-modified platelets.

Notable achievements: Over 70 publications, 10 patents, and spin-off companies like CoMotion and NanoVation Therapeutics. Awards include the 2016 MSFHR Scholar and Major Sir Frederick Banting Award. He trains numerous graduate students and undergraduates, many of whom have co-authored papers.

Grants and Funding: Over $2.3M from US DoD for trauma hemorrhage projects, CIHR grants, and collaborations with institutions like the USAISR and Versiti. Research also explores soil's role in wound clotting and Alzheimer's disease links to coagulation.

Labs and Teams: Leads the Kastrup Lab at UBC and Versiti, with collaborations across biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and surgery departments. Current projects include FDA-ready hemostatic agents and RNA therapies for rare bleeding disorders.