Diane E. Bender B.S., Medical Technology St. Louis University St. Louis, MO

I have been working for the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine under Dr. Dwight Bellinger and Dr. Virginia Godfrey since 1994.  Dr. Bellinger's research interests include vascular thrombosis and hemostasis using animal models, whereas Dr. Godfrey's focus is on an autoimmune disease model.  I received my B.S. in Medical Technology from St. Louis University in 1989.  Over the years, my research projects have been animal model and clinical trial oriented, drawing upon knowledge gained from my undergraduate degree.   But I found a common theme reappearing in my life: coagulation and immunology.  So after playing around for many years, I decided it was time to put the two together and pursue a Ph.D. looking at FXII's role in fibrinolysis and the immune system.

I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and relocated to North Carolina in 1990.    I fell in love with the beauty of this state and decided to stick around.  The birth of my son (Nolan) in 1999 gave me a new appreciation for life and the many exciting responsibilities that God has blessed me with.  Some of my many personal interests include: playing women's ice hockey, biking, hiking, camping, skiing, swimming, i.e. pretty much doing anything outdoors.  I also have a love for animals and currently have 1 cattle dog (Haley) and 2 pet cows (Lindy & Daisy May - they live on my small farm outside Mebane).

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