April Sawvel

Graduate Research Assistant

Education

• Ph.D. Candidate in Physical Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, September 2005 - Present
• B.S. in Chemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, 2002

Industry Experience

• Senior Scientific Technologist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (September 2002 - September 2005)
• Undergraduate Technical Scholar, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (August 1997 - June 2002)

Research: Controlling Hemostasis with Inorganic Surfaces

The ability to control bioprocesses via interface interactions with inorganic materials is evident in biomineralization, supported enzyme activity, and protein folding or denaturation. The development of advanced wound-dressing materials is an emerging field of materials chemistry that exploits the tunable surface properties of inorganic materials to modulate the intrinsic coagulation response. Inorganic hemostatic agents are estimated to have saved hundreds of lives in the current military conflicts5 and are finding an increasing number of civilian applications.

Our work has resulted in the further development of rapid-acting hemostatic agents and in a better understanding of how to use inorganic surfaces to control coagulation. We have tested a variety of inorganic materials that vary with respect to their surface and materials properties, and have identified the key materials properties necessary to stimulate a pro- or anti-coagulant response. The materials studied were thoroughly characterized with respect to their physical properties and rheological studies were used to assess the blood clotting response in vitro. In addition to investigating the physical properties of these materials, we have also studied the dependence of intrinsic coagulation on particle size and morphology. As a consequence of systematic investigations into the coagulation response to various inorganic materials, we have been able to develop superior hemostatic agents and are working towards a more detailed understanding of the enzymatic and cellular response to inorganic surfaces.

Links

• Presentation given by Galen at the 2008 UCSB Engineering Insights Conference on our research.
• Recent article on Wired Magazine highlighting our work.
• Top military award given to Galen at the ATACCC Conference on August 11th, 2008 for his his role in the development of a blood-clotting gauze that is saving soldiers who suffer severe, life-threatening injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Publications

1. Baker, S.E., Sawvel, A.M., Fan, J., Shi, Q., Stucky, G.D., "Blood Clot Initiation by Mesocellular Foams: Impacts of Pore Size Variation and Enzyme Immobilization." Manuscript in preparation
2. Baker, S.E., Sawvel, A.M., Zheng, N., Stucky, G.D., “Controlling Bioprocesses with Inorganic Surfaces: Layered Clay Hemostatic Agents.” Chemistry of Materials, 19, 4390, 2007.
3. Létant, S.E., Schaldach, C.M., Johnson, M.R., Sawvel, A.M., Bourcier, W.L., Wilson, W.D., “Pore Conductivity Control at the Hundred-Nanometer Scale: An Experimental and Theoretical Study.” Small, 12, 1504, 2006.
4. Herberg, J.L., Chinn, S.C., Sawvel, A.M., Gjersing, E., Maxwell, R.S., “Characterization of Local Deformation in Filled-Silicone Elastomers Subject to High Strain – NMR MOUSE and Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Diagnostic Tool for Detection of In homogeneities.” Polymer Degradation and Stability, 91, 1701, 2006.

Contact

asawvel [at] chem.ucsb.edu