Jolyon Jesty

Professor of Medicine and Pathology
Division of Hematology & Oncology
Department of Medicine
Stony Brook University

Phone: 631-444-2059
Email: jolyon.jesty{at}stonybrook.edu

B.A., Biochemistry, Oxford University
D.Phil., Biochemistry, Oxford University
Postdoctoral, Dept of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University

[Some years ago I was President of the Stony Brook University Senate, and for a couple of years my duties included directing proceedings at Commencement and looking after the University mace. The gown is mine, but the gold tassels are just Gilbert & Sullivan theatre.]

TEACHING

Most of my teaching material is public and may be found here. It includes an introduction to hemostasis for biology or biochemistry undergraduates, or for graduates not heading into medicine; blood coagulation in detail for medical students; enzyme kinetics for undergraduates or entering biochemistry graduate students; and a link to my undergraduate course, Bioethics and Policy.


RESEARCH

I do research in collaboration with colleagues in the Divisions of Hematology and Immunology in the Dept of Medicine, and in the Program in Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook. Collaborative projects with Dr Danny Bluestein of Biomedical Engineering concern the effect of prosthetic heart valves on platelet function, and particularly platelet activation, and--a separate project--the effect of tobacco-smoke extracts in sensitizing platelets, and the role of nicotine in modulating that effect.  In my lab the focus is the development of quantitative methods for measurement of the activation state of platelets, and of circulation methods for studying prosthetic devices like heart valves.  The assay methods are applicable to the measurement of both platelet activation state in experimental situations and the activation state of patient platelets. In Hematology, I collaborate with Wadie Bahou on the assessment of quantitative measurement of clotting reactions; in this case, chiefly the generation of factor Xa in response to IXa+VIIIa. In Immunology I collaborate with Berhane Ghebrehiwet on the structure and function of a cellular receptor for an important protein in complement, C1q. I additionally work with Suwelack Matrix Systems of the LI High Technology Incubator on the design of hemostatically active collagen-based wound dressings.


PUBLICATIONS (since 2003):
  • Jesty J, Wieland M, Niemiec J. Assessment in vitro of the active hemostatic properties of wound dressings. J Biomed Mater Res Part B 2009;89B:536-542.
  • Damon, A., Scudder, L., Gnatenko, D., Sitaraman, V., Hearing, P., Jesty, J., and Bahou, W.F. Altered bioavailability of platelet-derived factor VIII during thrombocytosis reverses phenotypic efficacy in hemophilic mice. Thromb. Haemost. 2008;100:1111-22.
  • Girdhar G, Xu S, Jesty J, Bluestein D. In-vitro model of endothelial-platelet activation due to cigarette smoke under cardiovascular circulation conditions. Ann Biomed Engin 2008;36:1142-51.
  • Girdhar G, Xu S, Bluestein D, Jesty J. Reduced-nicotine cigarettes increase platelet activation in smokers in vivo: a dilemma in harm reduction. J Nicotine Tobacco Res. 2008;10:1737-44.
  • Grosse Perdekamp MT, Rubenstein DA, Jesty J, Hultin MB. Platelet factor V supports hemostasis in a patient with an acquired factor V inhibitor, as shown by prothrombinase and tenase assays.  Blood Coagul Fibrinol 2006;17:593-7.
  • Ghebrehiwet B, CebadaMora C, Tantral L, Jesty J, Peerschke EI. gC1qR/p33 serves as a molecular bridge between the complement and contact activation systems and is an important catalyst in inflammation. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2006;586:95-105.
  • Yin W, Krukenkamp IB, Saltman AE, Gaudette G, Suresh K, Bernal O, Jesty J, Bluestein D. Thrombogenic performance of a st. Jude bileaflet mechanical heart valve in a sheep model. ASAIO J. 2006;52:28-33.
  • Schulz-Heik K, Ramachandran J, Bluestein D, Jesty J. The extent of platelet activation under shear depends on platelet count: differential expression of anionic phospholipid and factor Va. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb. 2005;34:255-62.
  • Jesty J, Rodriguez J, Beltrami E. Demonstration of a threshold response in a proteolytic feedback system: control of the autoactivation of factor XII. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb. 2005;34:71-9.
  • Yin W, Gallocher S, Pinchuk L, Schoephoerster RT, Jesty J, Bluestein D. Flow-induced platelet activation in a St. Jude mechanical heart valve, a trileaflet polymeric heart valve, and a St. Jude tissue valve. Artif Organs. 2005;29:826-31
  • Jesty, J. (2005). Blood Coagulation. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Chichester. http://www.els.net/  [DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0003984]
  • Jesty J. Biotechnology: cui bono, autem cui malo? St John's J Legal Commentary 2005;20:1-14.
  • Jesty J, Beltrami E. Positive feedbacks of coagulation: their role in threshold regulation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005;25:2463-9.
  • Ramachandran J, Rubenstein D, Bluestein D, Jesty J.  Activation of platelets exposed to shear stress in the presence of smoke extracts of low-nicotine and zero-nicotine cigarettes: the protective effect of nicotine. Nicotine Tobacco Res. 2004;6:835-41.
  • Yin W, Alemu Y, Affeld K, Jesty J, Bluestein D.  Flow-induced platelet activation in bileaflet and monoleaflet mechanical heart valves. Ann Biomed Eng. 2004 Aug;32(8):1058-66.
  • Bluestein D, Yin W, Affeld K, Jesty J. Flow-induced platelet activation in mechanical heart valves. J Heart Valve Dis. 2004 May;13(3):501-8.
  • Bahou WF, Scudder L, Rubenstein D, Jesty J.  A shear-restricted pathway of platelet procoagulant activity is regulated by IQGAP1. J Biol Chem. 2004 May 21;279(21):22571-7.
  • Rubenstein D, Jesty J, Bluestein D.  Differences between mainstream and sidestream cigarette smoke extracts and nicotine in the activation of platelets under static and flow conditions. Circulation. 2004 Jan 6;109(1):78-83.
  • Jesty J, Yin W, Perrotta P, and Bluestein D. Platelet activation in a circulating flow loop: combined effects of shear stress and exposure time.  Platelets 2003;17,143-149.

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    PERSONAL INTERESTS

    When I have time, I maintain a page devoted to the family tree of the Jestys of Dorset, dating to the 1600s, which includes more than 1100 names, including Benjamin Jesty, who was the first person known to deliberately inoculate (his wife and two sons) with cowpox to prevent smallpox, in 1774. Since some ask, my car, sometimes to be seen around Stony Brook, is a 1960 (Mk I) Austin Healey 3000, but the powerplant is slightly later (Mk II, 1961-2), with triple carburetors.  My piano, rarer than the Healey, is a 7-octave (85-key) Ascherberg, made in Dresden in 1882 or thereabouts, and has been in my family since about 1912. The case is inlaid rosewood. I also work wood: this is a bureau in mahogany for one of my daughters.

    Rev. 5 June 09, JJ