Michael Kalafatis

Michael Kalafatis is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Cleveland State University's College of Arts and Sciences. He also serves on the Planning Committee for the Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD). His research spans two major areas: blood coagulation and thrombosis, and cancer research with a focus on apoptosis mechanisms.

His laboratory has extensive expertise in the biochemistry of coagulation, particularly in the biochemistry of proteins composing prothrombinase. He has identified molecular defects in factor V Leiden and delineated specific amino acid regions on factor V/Va molecules crucial for their functions. His more recent work focuses on cancer research, specifically developing treatments using cytokines and natural non-toxic substances to overcome resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in cancer cells.

His publications over the past five years demonstrate a strong focus on both thrombosis research and cancer therapeutics, with particular attention to mechanisms of TRAIL resistance in triple-negative breast cancer and malignant melanoma. His work combines molecular biology, biochemistry, and translational cancer research approaches.

Dr. Kalafatis has received consistent research funding and has maintained an active laboratory with postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. His recent publications appear in high-impact journals across hematology, oncology, and biochemistry disciplines.

His laboratory currently includes Post Doctoral Fellow Jamila Hirbawi and PhD student Erin M. Thorpe. His research has been supported by various grants focused on understanding coagulation mechanisms and developing novel cancer treatments.