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HPS Network visits hematology lab at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston





Before I left for conference, I hadn't even finished posting stories from the last outreach trip. Here are a few photos and stories from Boston! Thanks to Frankie the Cat for taking these images. I hadn't yet replaced my camera that was distroyed by Delta Airlines.
From Boston:
Heather Kirkwood, Carmen Camacho and Frankie Feliciano visited the hematology lab of Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft at Beth Israel Hospital on Feb. 25, 2010. Dr. Flaumenhaft has studied HPS in his lab and invited the Network to give a lunch presentation to his fellow researchers and his students.

The Network fed the doctors pizza and soda while Heather Kirkwood gave a presentation on HPS and the HPS Network. Several of the researchers and students had never seen the humans their mouse research will help one day.

After the presentation, the assembled researchers engaged in a lively discussion about what direction their research might take in the future. One researcher in particular was interested to learn more about whether the kidneys of those with HPS are in any way affected. Most HPSers have not reported kidney complications, except as a side effect of medications or late stage illness. There are a handful, however, who have shown some sort of kidney complication. So far these cases are so isolated that it remains to be seen whether they are directly related to HPS or other health issues.

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