Dr. Chou's research laboratory investigates mechanisms of normal hematopoietic development and how these become disrupted in hematologic diseases. Her laboratory primarily uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and primary human cells to model blood diseases and study their underlying pathophysiology. They specifically focus on erythro-megakaryocytic development and the role of genetic modifiers in anemia, thrombocytopenia, and myeloproliferative disorders.
Dr. Chou's other research focus is alloimmunization in patients with sickle cell disease. Her research has demonstrated that transfusion of patients with sickle cell disease using African American donor units and antigen matched for D, C, E, and K did not reduce Rh alloimmunization and many Rh antibodies were explained by inheritance of variant RH genes. Her current work focuses on alloimmunization prevention and transfusion safety for patients with SCD using genomics to identify risk of alloantibody formation and selecting compatible blood donors.
