headshot of Susan Shea

Susan Shea

Assistant Professor
SMSHEA@pitt.edu
(412) 383-0911
(412) 624-1418
@SMSheaLab Bioengineering Department

overview

Dr. Shea utilizes microfluidic models and other flow-based assays to study hemostasis in the context of trauma and transfusion medicine. Severe bleeding is the most common cause of preventable death after traumatic injury, and trauma-associated coagulopathy increases the risk for mortality by 400%. Dr. Shea’s research examines how traumatic injury induces coagulopathy and platelet dysfunction. To do so, Dr. Shea develops physiologically-fidelic microfluidic assays and platforms to simulate biomechanics and fluid dynamics of vessel injury in vitro. These same tools are also employed to study the hemostatic efficacy of novel and existing blood products, as well as other treatments and approaches to rescue hemostatic dysfunction, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Shea is also interested in arterial thrombosis and thrombolysis. Arterial thrombosis causes myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. Dr. Shea also employs microfluidics to study novel approaches to prevent and treat thrombosis.

about

PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013 - 2017

MSME, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013 - 2016

BS, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009 - 2013

Andraska, E.A., Denorme, F., Kaltenmeier, C., Arivudainabi, A., Mihalko, E.P., Dyer, M., Annarapu, G.K., Zarisfi, M., Loughran, P., Ozel, M., Williamson, K., Mota Alvidrez, R.I., Thomas, K., Shiva, S., Shea, S.M., Steinman, R.A., Campbell, R.A., Rosengart, M.R., & Neal, M.D. (2025). Alterations in visible light exposure modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation. J Thromb Haemost, 23(1), 123-138.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2024.08.020.

Bresette, C.A., Shea, S.M., Wagoner, S., Bakshi, S., Deshpande, S.R., Maher, K.O., & Ku, D.N. (2024). Novel tubing connectors reduce ECMO circuit thrombosis. Int J Artif Organs, 47(5), 347-355.SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1177/03913988241252255.

Shea, S.M., Mihalko, E.P., Lu, L., Thomas, K.A., Schuerer, D., Brown, J.B., Bochicchio, G.V., & Spinella, P.C. (2024). Doing more with less: low-titer group O whole blood resulted in less total transfusions and an independent association with survival in adults with severe traumatic hemorrhage. J Thromb Haemost, 22(1), 140-151.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.09.025.

Shea, S.M., Reisz, J.A., Mihalko, E.P., Rahn, K.C., Rassam, R.M.G., Chitrakar, A., Gamboni, F., D'Alessandro, A., Spinella, P.C., & Thomas, K.A. (2024). Cold-stored platelet hemostatic capacity is maintained for three weeks of storage and associated with taurine metabolism. J Thromb Haemost, 22(4), 1154-1166.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.11.025.

Thomas, K.A., Rassam, R.M.G., Kar, R., Dishong, D.M., Rahn, K.C., Fonseca, R., Canas, M., Aldana, J., Afzal, H., Bochicchio, K., Neal, M.D., Bochicchio, G.V., Spinella, P.C., & Shea, S.M. (2024). Trauma patients have reduced ex vivo flow-dependent platelet hemostatic capacity in a microfluidic model of vessel injury. In Choi, J. (Ed.). PLoS One, 19(7), e0304231.Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304231.

Zarisfi, M., Younes, R., Alsaadi, N., Liu, Z., Loughran, P., Williamson, K., Spinella, P.C., Shea, S.M., Rosengart, M.R., Andraska, E.A., & Neal, M.D. (2024). Long wavelength light exposure reduces systemic inflammation coagulopathy and acute organ injury following multiple injuries in mice. J Trauma Acute Care Surg, 96(6), 901-908.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004234.

Mihalko, E.P., Srinivasan, A.J., Rahn, K.C., Seheult, J.N., Spinella, P.C., Cap, A.P., Triulzi, D.J., Yazer, M.H., Neal, M.D., & Shea, S.M. (2023). Hemostatic In Vitro Properties of Novel Plasma Supernatants Produced from Late-storage Low-titer Type O Whole Blood. Anesthesiology, 139(1), 77-90.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000004574.

Thomas, K.A., Srinivasan, A.J., McIntosh, C., Rahn, K., Kelly, S., McGough, L., Clayton, S., Perez, S., Smith, A., Vavro, L., Musgrove, J., Hill, R., Mdaki, K.S., Bynum, J.A., Meledeo, M.A., Cap, A.P., Spinella, P.C., Reddoch-Cardenas, K.M., & Shea, S.M. (2023). Comparison of platelet quality and function across apheresis collection platforms. Transfusion, 63 Suppl 3(S3), S146-S158.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.17370.

Younes, R., Spinella, P.C., Shea, S.M., Bailey-Kroll, L., Neal, M.D., Leeper, C., & Yazer, M.H. (2023). A rapid ABO and RhD test demonstrates high fidelity to blood bank testing for RhD typing. Transfusion, 63 Suppl 3(S3), S208-S212.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.17326.

Ashworth, K.J., Thomas, K.A., & Shea, S.M. (2022). Von Willebrand Factor and Platelet Aggregation: from Bench to Clinical Practice. CURRENT ANESTHESIOLOGY REPORTS, 12(2), 329-341.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s40140-022-00521-5.

Han, Q., Shea, S.M., Arleo, T., Qian, J.Y., & Ku, D.N. (2022). Thrombogenicity of biomaterials depends on hemodynamic shear rate. Artif Organs, 46(4), 606-617.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/aor.14093.

Shea, S.M., Spinella, P.C., & Thomas, K.A. (2022). Cold-stored platelet function is not significantly altered by agitation or manual mixing. Transfusion, 62(9), 1850-1859.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.17005.

Shea, S.M., Thomas, K.A., Rassam, R.M.G., Mihalko, E.P., Daniel, C., Sullenger, B.A., Spinella, P.C., & Nimjee, S.M. (2022). Dose-Dependent Von Willebrand Factor Inhibition by Aptamer BB-031 Correlates with Thrombolysis in a Microfluidic Model of Arterial Occlusion. Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 15(12), 1450.MDPI. doi: 10.3390/ph15121450.

Spinella, P.C., Bochicchio, K., Thomas, K.A., Staudt, A., Shea, S.M., Pusateri, A.E., Schuerer, D., Levy, J.H., Cap, A.P., & Bochicchio, G. (2022). The risk of thromboembolic events with early intravenous 2- and 4-g bolus dosing of tranexamic acid compared to placebo in patients with severe traumatic bleeding: A secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center trial. Transfusion, 62 Suppl 1(S1), S139-S150.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.16962.

Thomas, K.A., Shea, S.M., Saini, A., Muszynski, J.A., & Spinella, P.C. (2022). Correlation between Thrombin Generation, Standard Coagulation Assays, and Viscoelastic Assays for Hemostatic Assessment in Critically Ill Children. J Appl Lab Med, 7(5), 1108-1119.Oxford University Press (OUP). doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfac030.

Kim, D., Shea, S.M., & Ku, D.N. (2021). Lysis of arterial thrombi by perfusion of N,N'-Diacetyl-L-cystine (DiNAC). In Hagemeyer, C.E. (Ed.). PLoS One, 16(2), e0247496.Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247496.

Manning, K.B., Nicoud, F., & Shea, S.M. (2021). Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Device-Induced Thrombosis. Curr Opin Biomed Eng, 20, 100349.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100349.

Tanaka, K.A., Shettar, S., Vandyck, K., Shea, S.M., & Abuelkasem, E. (2021). Roles of Four-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate in the Management of Critical Bleeding. Transfus Med Rev, 35(4), 96-103.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2021.06.007.

Thomas, K.A., Shea, S.M., & Spinella, P.C. (2021). Effects of pathogen reduction technology and storage duration on the ability of cryoprecipitate to rescue induced coagulopathies in vitro. Transfusion, 61(6), 1943-1954.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.16376.

D'Alessandro, A., Thomas, K.A., Stefanoni, D., Gamboni, F., Shea, S.M., Reisz, J.A., & Spinella, P.C. (2020). Metabolic phenotypes of standard and cold-stored platelets. Transfusion, 60 Suppl 3(Suppl 3), S96-S106.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.15651.

Shea, S.M., Staudt, A.M., Thomas, K.A., Schuerer, D., Mielke, J.E., Folkerts, D., Lowder, E., Martin, C., Bochicchio, G.V., & Spinella, P.C. (2020). The use of low-titer group O whole blood is independently associated with improved survival compared to component therapy in adults with severe traumatic hemorrhage. Transfusion, 60 Suppl 3(S3), S2-S9.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.15696.

Spinella, P.C., Thomas, K.A., Turnbull, I.R., Fuchs, A., Bochicchio, K., Schuerer, D., Reese, S., Coleoglou Centeno, A.A., Horn, C.B., Baty, J., Shea, S.M., Meledeo, M.A., Pusateri, A.E., Levy, J.H., Cap, A.P., Bochicchio, G.V., & TAMPITI Investigators. (2020). The Immunologic Effect of Early Intravenous Two and Four Gram Bolus Dosing of Tranexamic Acid Compared to Placebo in Patients With Severe Traumatic Bleeding (TAMPITI): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single-Center Trial. Front Immunol, 11, 2085.Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02085.

Barker, E.E., Saini, A., Gazit, A.Z., Shea, S.M., Baltagi, S., Gage, B.F., & Spinella, P.C. (2019). TEG Platelet Mapping and Impedance Aggregometry to Predict Platelet Transfusion During Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Pediatric Patients. Front Pediatr, 7, 509.Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fped.2019.00509.

Shea, S.M., Thomas, K.A., & Spinella, P.C. (2019). The effect of platelet storage temperature on hemostatic, immune, and endothelial function: potential for personalized medicine. BLOOD TRANSFUSION, 17(4), 321-330. doi: 10.2450/2019.0095-19.

Thomas, K.A., Shea, S.M., Yazer, M.H., & Spinella, P.C. (2019). Effect of leukoreduction and pathogen reduction on the hemostatic function of whole blood. Transfusion, 59(S2), 1539-1548.Wiley. doi: 10.1111/trf.15175.

Hastings, S.M., Griffin, M.T., & Ku, D.N. (2017). Hemodynamic studies of platelet thrombosis using microfluidics. Platelets, 28(5), 427-433.Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/09537104.2017.1316483.

Hastings, S.M., Ku, D.N., Wagoner, S., Maher, K.O., & Deshpande, S. (2017). Sources of Circuit Thrombosis in Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ASAIO J, 63(1), 86-92.Wolters Kluwer. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000000444.

Hastings, S.M., Deshpande, S.R., Wagoner, S., Maher, K., & Ku, D.N. (2016). Thrombosis in centrifugal pumps: location and composition in clinical and in vitro circuits. Int J Artif Organs, 39(4), 200-204.SAGE Publications. doi: 10.5301/ijao.5000498.

Hoteit, L., Mihalko, E., Rahn, K., Steinman, R., Shea, S.M., & Neal, M.D. (2022). Antithrombotic Testing Using Platelet Aggregometry Vs Small Volume Stenotic Microfluidic Device. In BLOOD, 140(Supplement 1), (pp. 13018-13019).American Society of Hematology. doi: 10.1182/blood-2022-169344.

Mihalko, E.P., Shea, S.M., Thomas, K.A., Huff, M., Schuerer, D., Bochicchio, G., & Spinella, P. (2022). Improved Survival in Severely Bleeding Trauma Patients Treated with Low-Titer Group O Whole Blood Compared to Component Therapy. In TRANSFUSION, 62, (pp. 244A-245A).

Srinivasan, A.J., Mihalko, E.P., Rahn, K.C., Seheult, J., Spinella, P., Cap, A.P., Triulzi, D.J., Yazer, M.H., Neal, M.D., & Shea, S.M. (2022). Plasma Supernatants from Late-Storage Low-Titer Type O Whole Blood Have Improved in Vitro Hemostatic Efficacy over Liquid Plasma. In TRANSFUSION, 62, (pp. 67A-68A).

Barker, E., Saini, A., Gazit, A., Baltagi, S., Spinella, P., Gage, B., & Shea, S. (2020). TEG AND IMPEDANCE AGGREGOMETRY TO PREDICT PLATELET TRANSFUSION DURING BYPASS FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS. In CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, 48.

Ku, D.N., Casa, L.D.C., & Hastings, S.M. (2017). Choice of a hemodynamic model for occlusive thrombosis in arteries. In J Biomech, 50, (pp. 110-113).Elsevier.United States. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2016.11.029.

Ku, D.N., Shea, S., Maher, K., & Deshpande, S. (2022). Connector for Flexible Tubing Used for Fluid Transport.

Shea, S., Thomas, K., & Spinella, P. (2022). Compositions and methods for preserving or increasing platelet function.

Kim, D., Ku, D.N., & Shea, S. (2021). Use of cystine and derivatives thereof as anti-thrombotic and thrombolytic agents.