Promising
Partnerships

Aaron joined Bloodworks in 2017. As Chief Ventures Officer, he is overseeing an enterprise-wide assessment and prioritization of assets related to services, technologies and intellectual property that have strong potential for commercialization. Ventures works directly with researchers, physicians, and other staff to bring innovative discoveries to the most appropriate partnership arrangement. Aaron has nearly 20 years of experience in health care and has worked throughout the Seattle area in biotechnology, academic research and hospital administration. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Whitworth University, an Executive Leadership Certification from Seattle University, and a Health Executive Leadership Master of Business Administration from Seattle University.

Dr. Konkle has over 30 years of experience in the evaluation and care of patients with bleeding and clotting disorders and has been recognized nationally and internationally in this area. Dr. Konkle’s clinical focus is on hemostases, benign hematology and transfusion medicine. Dr. Konkle earned her M.D. from Vanderbilt University. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. She has held national positions including chair of the board of the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network and is a founding board member of the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders and the North American Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis.

Curt joined Bloodworks Northwest in 2019 after 20 years in management consulting. Curt was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was a leader in the firm’s healthcare practice and based in Seattle. Curt has advised a variety of healthcare companies across the United States with an emphasis on serving non-profit, community-based, and academic healthcare institutions. Curt’s work spanned strategy, operational improvement, and organizational health, and he has published in leading journals, such as the Harvard Business Review. Prior to joining McKinsey, Curt served as a Captain and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned his MBA from Yale University and his BA from Tufts University. Curt has lived with his family in the Seattle area since 2002. He is active in the community and has served on the Board of Trustees for a local Montessori school, chaired Yale School of Management’s West Coast Advisory Board, and currently serves on the Board of the Washington Health Alliance.

Dr. Haley joined Bloodworks in 2011. She is a hematologist with 20+ years of experience in blood center management and biotechnical development. She is the medical director of services providing stem cell collections for bone marrow transplantation from unrelated volunteers in the form of umbilical cord blood units, peripheral blood progenitor cells from apheresis, and qualifications of donors for the collection of bone marrow that are distributed worldwide. Becky earned her M.D. at Eastern Virginia Medical School, completing her advanced training at Virginia Mason Medical Center and the University of Washington. Her special interests include Cord Blood collection, processing; Enhancement of cord blood transplantation; Regenerative medicine; Regulatory policy in cell therapy; Donor motivation and care.

Dr. Wu came to Bloodworks in 2013 from the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Wu brings more than 20 years of experience in blood banking and transfusion medicine, apheresis, cellular therapy, and laboratory medicine. As Chief Medical Officer, she provides medical oversight, guidance and policy direction for all of BloodworksNW’s operations, as well as leadership to specialized physicians. She also serves as Medical Director and Laboratory Director of transfusion services for several hospitals, Medical Director for patient services, including apheresis, as well as patient blood management. She is globally recognized for her understanding and knowledge of transfusion practices, apheresis therapies, physician collaboration, and regulatory processes. Currently, Dr. Wu serves as a Board Director for the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA), was on the ASFA practice guideline committee and has served on multiple ASFA committees. She also promotes transfusion safety globally; in particular, she has been actively participating in transfusion medicine education in China.

Jill joined Bloodworks in 2016. Jill was previously the President of BenTech Biotechnology Services, prior to its acquisition by Bloodworks Northwest. Jill leads our Biological Products division, whose services include donor recruitment and program management, blood collection, specialized cell processing and selection, frozen cell banking, execution of customized protocols for research purposes and consulting services. She received a Bachelor of Business Management from Tulane University, and a Master of Business Administration, Organizational Leadership and Entrepreneurship, from Seattle University.

Chris joined Bloodworks in 2019. He has a passion for bringing cutting edge life-saving technologies to critical care patients. As Manager of Strategic Partnerships, he establishes and develops strategic commercial and business partnerships for Bloodworks’ innovative technologies and intellectual property. Chris has over 15 years of drug development and business development experience developing therapeutics, new technologies, and contract research services. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Arizona State University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

As Director of Alliance Management, Emily helps the institution recognize the scientific and medical discoveries that are most likely to achieve successful commercialization and facilitates the optimal placement of these innovations to achieve that end in the most appropriate commercialization arrangement. Through the generation and maintenance of an enterprise-wide project portfolio, Emily supports Bloodworks’ Chief Venture Officer to effectively and strategically align each asset with an appropriate partner(s). Emily earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Washington, and her Bachelor's degree in Biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Jill joined Bloodworks in 2016. Jill was previously the President of BenTech Biotechnology Services, prior to its acquisition by Bloodworks Northwest. Jill leads our Biological Products division, whose services include donor recruitment and program management, blood collection, specialized cell processing and selection, frozen cell banking, execution of customized protocols for research purposes and consulting services. She received a Bachelor of Business Management from Tulane University, and a Master of Business Administration, Organizational Leadership and Entrepreneurship, from Seattle University.

Christina joined Bloodworks in 2019 and brings over 15 years of experience in the research and cellular therapy fields to business development. As part of Bloodworks Bio she is responsible for the Biological Products, Cellular Therapy, and Cord Blood product and services lines. With an extensive background in cell isolation processes, her interests include sustainable starting materials for cellular therapeutics and rapid bench to bedside practices. Christina earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Washington, a Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics from Stony Brook University, and completed the Idea to IPO: Technology Venture course from the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Konkle has over 30 years of experience in the evaluation and care of patients with bleeding and clotting disorders and has been recognized nationally and internationally in this area. Dr. Konkle’s clinical focus is on hemostases, benign hematology and transfusion medicine. Dr. Konkle earned her M.D. from Vanderbilt University. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. She has held national positions including chair of the board of the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network and is a founding board member of the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders and the North American Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis.

Dr. Johnsen is a physician-scientist and Associate Member at the Bloodworks Research Institute (BWRI, formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) and Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. Dr. Johnsen’s research laboratory focuses on the study of hereditary and acquired modifiers of blood traits, with particular emphasis on the genetics and biology of variation in coagulation and blood group antigens. In addition to her research, Dr. Johnsen is a clinical expert in hemostasis, a clinical provider in the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders at BloodworksNW, and CLIA consultant at BWNW.

Dr. Stolla is a physician-scientist and Associate Member at the Bloodworks Research Institute leading the Platelet Transfusion Research Laboratory, and a member of the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. Dr. Stolla’s research laboratory focuses on platelet transfusion biology, prevention of bleeding and treatment of active bleeding, and alternative platelet products for transfusion including platelet additive solutions. Prior to Bloodworks, Dr. Stolla was an Instructor and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and a Staff Physician at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Fu joined Bloodworks Northwest is 2008. Research in the Fu lab uses mass spectrometry and biochemical methods to better understand the pathophysiology (abnormal functional changes) of a wide range of diseases related to inflammation and thrombosis and develop methods for prevention and new therapeutic strategies. Her areas of study include: the oxidation, cleavage, and mutations of blood clotting proteins; Storage lesion of blood components using metabolomics based approaches; and Clinical trials to evaluate antioxidant therapy and identify biomarkers for oxidative stress. Dr. Fu also serves as the director of the Mass Spectrometry core, a state-of-the-art facility that provides sample analysis, training and consultation to investigators within the BWRI as well as external collaborators.

Dr. Dong joined BloodworksNW in May 2011 to serve as a full member of the Bloodworks Northwest Research Institute and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology at the University of Washington. The Dong lab seeks to understand how platelets function and how their functions are altered during disease states. Altered platelets may be related to thrombosis (abnormal blood clotting), heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, and cancer. Research on platelets has implications for the management of traumatic brain injury, preeclampsia, trauma, heart transplants, and stem cell transplants. Prior to his appointment at Bloodworks, Dr. Dong served as Chief of Thrombosis Division in the Department of Medicine and Director of Baylor College of Medicine Thrombosis Core Laboratory. Since 2003, Dr. Dong has published over 182 peer-reviewed manuscripts in biomedical journals.

Dr. Chung joined Bloodworks Research Institute in 2012. The Chung laboratory studies plasma proteins involved in blood coagulation; abnormal function in and regulation of these proteins cause bleeding and thrombotic diseases. An improved understanding of how these proteins function may lead to improved ways of preventing and treating these disorders. His areas of study include: the role of apolipoproteins in thrombosis of small vessels; identification and characterization of biomarkers of vessel activation and thrombotic diseases; and stabilization of plasma proteins. Dr. Chung has been a Professor at the University of Washington since 1982.

Dr. Kruse-Jarres is the Director of the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders, helping people with bleeding disorders obtain early, effective treatment and acquire skills that foster independence and minimize the acute and chronic complications from a bleeding disorder. Dr. Kruse-Jarres believes it to be her duty to be an educator and advocate for patients and their families to ultimately arrive at the best treatment plan. Along with the main clinic at BloodworksNW, Dr. Kruse-Jarres and the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders have clinics at SCCA, Seattle Children’s Hospital and outreach clinics across Washington. Dr. Kruse-Jarres earned her M.D. and M.P.H. at Tulane University. Dr. Kruse-Jarres is a UW Associate Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics. She is board certified in Hematology and Oncology. She is on the Board of Directors of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society and is an active member of the American Society of Hematology. She is a reviewer for several major medical journals.

Dr. Lopéz is a physician-scientist and Full Member at the Bloodworks Research Institute. He is also a Professor in the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. The López laboratory at Bloodworks has been involved for many years in studies aimed at understanding the basic mechanisms of platelet adhesion and the roles that platelets play in inflammation. Additional projects in the laboratory concern membrane blebs (out-pockets) called microvesicles or microparticles and their roles in normal hemostasis (checking bleeding), thrombosis (unwanted blood clotting), and acute inflammatory responses. Prior to joining Bloodworks Dr. Lopez was the Vice-Chair of Medicine for Research and Scientific Director of the Thrombosis Research Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Dr. Haley joined Bloodworks in 2011. She is a hematologist with 20+ years of experience in blood center management and biotechnical development. She is the medical director of services providing stem cell collections for bone marrow transplantation from unrelated volunteers in the form of umbilical cord blood units, peripheral blood progenitor cells from apheresis, and qualifications of donors for the collection of bone marrow that are distributed worldwide. Becky earned her M.D. at Eastern Virginia Medical School, completing her advanced training at Virginia Mason Medical Center and the University of Washington. Her special interests include Cord Blood collection, processing; Enhancement of cord blood transplantation; Regenerative medicine; Regulatory policy in cell therapy; Donor motivation and care.