Anemia is a common medical problem, particularly in the elderly, which is associated with cognitive impairment, frailty, and increased mortality. Anemia is frequently caused by impaired intestinal iron absorption or by inadequate release of iron from macrophage iron stores. On the other hand, iron overload affects numerous individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis, hemoglobin disorders, and chronic transfusions. The focus of my research is to improve our understanding of the genetic pathways that affect blood development and iron homeostasis and thus cause either anemia and iron overload disorders using zebrafish, mouse, and tissue culture models. To that end, we are identifying small molecules that increase expression of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin that may lead to new therapies for iron overload disorders. Ongoing collaborations include the following: (1) inflammatory bowel disease models Dr. Efi Kokkotou (Division of Gastroenterology, BIDMC), (2) the effect of vitamin D deficiency on erythropoiesis with Dr. Gary Vanasse (Division of Hematology/Oncology, BWH), and (3) functional toxicology with Dr. Chris Vulpe (UC Berkeley). In addition to research, I teach and precept Harvard undergraduate students, medical students, residents, and fellows, and serve as an Attending Physician on the Hematology/Oncology Consult Service, the Hematologic Malignancy/Bone Marrow Transplant Service, and the Hematology Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.