Welcome 

The Desch Lab laboratory is located in the MSRB III building on the University of Michigan Medical Center. 

Our lab concentrates on the discovery and functional characterization of human gene variants that play important roles in thrombosis and hemostasis. In large human cohorts, we have performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS), Mendelian Randomization studies, linkage mapping analyses in families and whole-genome sequencing to study rare variants. These discovery studies lead to focused functional experiments on the bench. Here, we study how the variants detected in GWAS linkage or WGS alter the function of the proteins they encode by using molecular and cellular models. We create and analyze deep mutational scanning (DMS) libraries of genes important in thrombosis. We conduct CRISPR knockdown library screens to discover critical genes that support the function of proteins in hemostasis. We use proximity labeling technology to characterize the protein-protein interactome of critical factors in thrombosis. 

Dr. Desch is a member of the Cellular and Molecular Biology Program at the University of Michigan. https://cmb.medicine.umich.edu/ 

Dr. Desch is an attending Neonatologist at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/pediatrics/divisions/neonatal-perinatal-medicine 

The Desch Lab supports rotational and thesis project graduate student work as well as post-doctoral training. We also offer learning experiences to motivated undergraduate students who are interested in careers in biomedical science or clinical medicine. 

 Our Lab is a Gold level certified Sustainable Lab which means we focus on reducing waste, energy and avoid the use of hazardous materials.