Mariel Miller - PhD Student

Mariel is a PhD student co-mentored by Prof. Yunfeng Chen and Prof. Christopher Zahner. Her project is on the mechanisms and diagnosis of hypo-fibrinolysis in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). An estimated 6-12% of assigned female at birth women in the US have PCOS, making it the most common endocrine-metabolic disorder in reproductive age women. Our preliminary studies suggest that PCOS patients have a 15-30x higher incidence rate of thrombosis compared to the average population. However, the mechanisms of thrombosis in PCOS are unknown and clinical tests are not sensitive enough to detect thrombotic states in PCOS patients. Our long-term goal is to decrease the rate of thrombosis in PCOS with evidence-based clinical criteria for the detection and treatment of thrombosis in PCOS.