Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Home

Header Top Menu

  • Careers
  • Investors
  • News
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
    • Podcasts
      • The Antigen Podcast
      • Get Science Podcast
      • Diverse Perspectives Podcast
      • menopause: unmuted
      • Hemcast
    • Contact Media Relations
    • Press Kits & Downloads
      • Company Press Kit
      • Pfizer Oncology Press Kit
      • PSA Narrative
      • RA NarRAtive
      • Rare Disease Gene Therapy Press Kit
      • ATTR-Amyloidosis Press Kit
      • UC Narrative
      • Eczema Inside Out Press Kit
  • Partners
    • Discovery to Pre-candidate
      • Focus Areas
        • Therapeutic Areas
          • Internal Medicine
          • Inflammation and Immunology
          • Oncology
          • Rare Disease
          • Vaccines
        • Therapeutic Modalities and Technology Platforms
          • Drug Safety
          • Gene Therapy
          • Target Sciences
          • Precision Medicine
          • Medicinal Sciences
            • Biologics Product & Process Development
            • Biotherapeutics Discovery
            • Medicine Design
            • Small Molecule Product & Process Development
        • Emerging Science
          • DNA Damage Response
          • Microsatellite Repeat Expansions
          • Senescence
      • Partnering Models
    • Candidate Through Commercialization
      • Focus Areas
        • Internal Medicine
        • Inflammation and Immunology
        • Oncology
        • Rare Disease
        • Vaccines
        • Hospital
    • Pfizer CentreOne
    • Pfizer Ventures
      • Our portfolio

Healthcare Professionals

  • Healthcare Professionals

Connect with Us

  • Connect with Us
    • Email
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy (NEW)
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
  • Your Health

    • Healthy Living
      • Brain & Nervous System
      • Cardiovascular Health
      • Cold & Flu
      • Digestive Health
      • Healthier Aging
      • Living Tobacco Free
      • Men’s Health
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition & Fitness
      • Pediatric Health
      • Respiratory Health
      • Skin Health
      • Vaccines & Prevention
      • Women’s Health

    • Disease & Condition
      • Cancer
      • Cardiovascular Diseases & Conditions
      • Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
      • Immune System Diseases & Conditions
      • Infections & Infectious Diseases
      • Neurological Diseases & Conditions
      • Menopause
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccine-Related Conditions
      • Skin Diseases & Conditions
      • Atopic Dermatitis

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

    • Managing your health
      • Caregiving
      • Evaluating Health Information
      • Tracking Your Health
      • Your Medicines
      • Health Literacy

    • Wellness
    Hot Topics

    Maintaining Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19

    Emotional Well-Being Tips for People Living with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions During COVID-19
  • Our Science

    • Driven to Discover the cure

    • Focus Areas
      • Internal Medicine
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Anti Infectives

    • Product Pipeline

    • Clinical Trials
      • Guide to Clinical Trials
      • Find a Trial
      • Expanded Access & Compassionate Use
      • Clinical Trials in Children
      • Partnering with Pfizer
      • Trial Data & Results
      • Research Integrity & Transparency
      • Diversity in Clinical Trials

    • R&D Platforms
      • Biosimilars
      • Gene Therapy
      • Medicinal Sciences
      • Precision Medicine
      • Maternal Immunization

    • Collaboration
      • Partner with Pfizer

    • Research sites

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Scientific Resources
    HOT TOPICS

    MRNA VS. CONVENTIONAL VACCINES

    What Makes an RNA Vaccine Different From a Conventional Vaccine?
  • Our People

    • Meet The Experts
      • Scientists
      • Internal Medicine – Metabolic Disease
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Medical Professionals

    • The Journey

    • Leadership
      • Executives
      • Board Members
      • Company Fact Sheet

    • Diverse Perspectives
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Supplier Diversity
    HOT TOPICS

    Meet our new Chief Patient Officer, Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron

    dr_richardson_300x170.jpg

    Working Together to Empower Women

    VizagWomen_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Purpose

    • Commitment to Global Health
      • Expanding Access
      • Strengthening Health Systems
      • Providing Disaster & Humanitarian Relief
      • Unleashing the Power of Our Colleagues
      • Highlighting Individual Voices

    • Protecting People and the Environment
      • Pfizer's Green Journey
      • Product Stewardship
      • EHS Governance
      • EHS Supply Chain
      • Key Performance Indicators
      • Health & Safety
      • Human Rights

    • Positions on Health Policies
      • Ready for Cures
      • How does Pfizer price medicines?
      • Value of Medicines
      • Policy Positions
      • Creating Cures Through Facility Investments

    • Transparency
      • Working with Health Care Professionals
      • Transparency in Grants
      • Code of Conduct
      • Corporate Compliance
      • Sales and Marketing Compliance

    • Independent Grants
      • Competitive Grants Program
      • Independent Medical Education
      • Investigator Sponsored Research
      • Quality Improvement
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Grants

    • Contributions & Partnerships
      • Healthcare Charitable Contributions
      • Lobbying & Political Contributions
    HOT TOPICS

    Pfizer Women’s Resource Group

    Media Name: IWD_Pull_up_Banner_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Products

    • Product listing

    • How drugs are made
      • Branded vs. Generic
      • Biologics & Biosimilars
      • Commitment to Quality

    • Distributors
      • Pfizer Distributors
      • Greenstone Distributors

    • Medicine Safety
      • Reporting Adverse Events
      • Making Good Treatment Choices
      • Partnering With Patients
      • Health Literacy
      • Medicine Safety Tips for Patients
      • Counterfeiting
      • Unused Medicines

    • Safety Data Sheets

    • Medical Information Contacts

    • Pfizer Global Supply
    HOT TOPICS

    Universal vs. Single Payer Healthcare

    Media Name: universal_healthcare300x170.jpg
  • Careers

    • Working Here
      • Mission & Purpose
      • Culture
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Career Growth & Colleague Development
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Ensuring Corporate Responsibility
    • Search Jobs
    • Student & Early Career
      • Postdoctoral Program
      • US Summer Student Worker Program
      • Opportunities for Veterans
    • Pfizer365.com
    • Our Hiring & Recruiting Process
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Tips for Interviewing at Pfizer
    • Connect With Us
  • Investors

    • Investors Overview
      • Why Invest / Our Story
      • Prospective Investors
      • Fact Sheet
    • Events & Presentations
    • Financials
      • Quarterly Reports
      • Annual Reports
      • SEC Filings
      • Interactive Data Filings
    • Investor News
    • Stock Information
      • Historical Price Lookup
      • Investment Calculator
      • Historical Stock Chart & Data
      • Dividend & Split History
      • Stock FAQs
    • Governance
      • Board Committees and Charters
      • The Pfizer Board Policies
      • Corporate Governance FAQs
      • Contact Our Directors
    • Shareholder Services
      • Stock FAQs
      • Advisory Information
      • Cost Basis Calculator
  • News

    • Contact Media Relations
    • Podcasts
    • Press Kits & Downloads
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
  • Partners
  • Footer links

    • Footer Aside Section1
      • CAREER-SEEKERS
      • INVESTORS
      • News & Media
      • Partners
    • Footer Aside Section 2
      • Healthcare Professionals
      • Business To Business
      • Change Region
      • Sitemap
    • Footer Aside Section3
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Linkedin
      • Instagram
      • Youtube
    • Footer Aside Section4
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy

Domino Effect: A Dancer Turns to Science to Help Others with Their Mobility and Function

Domino Effect: A Dancer Turns to Science to Help Others with Their Mobility and Function
OUR PEOPLE/ Domino Effect: A Dancer Turns to Science to Help Others with Their Mobility and Function
December 12, 2016
Debbie Pittman had her sights set on being a dancer. Like many teens, Debbie didn’t originally listen to a high school teacher who urged her to pursue science, but it happened serendipitously anyways.
 
“I fell into science – I was always interested but I really wanted to be a dancer, I originally studied dance. I liked to learn and be challenged and started exploring biology and environmental science and found that I loved it. That started a slow build that led to a passion for hematology.”
 
Debbie spent her first two years at The University of Colorado as a dance major but continued to take science courses on the side, quickly expanding her realm from anatomy and physiology to upper level biology. Eventually knee injuries prevented her from pursuing a career in dance and she made the official switch to science full time.
 
“I moved to California to do a year work study program at NASA exploring how space flight affected endocrinology and stress hormones. I then moved into molecular biology, researching factor VIII, which is essential for helping the body form blood clots – the absence of factor VIII causes hemophilia A. By that point I was hooked – it was a great challenge that I loved.” 
 
Hemophilia is a rare genetic disorder that affects blood clotting and is found in roughly 400,000 individuals worldwide, affecting mostly males.1 Hemophilia is a deficiency in the blood coagulation cascade, meaning that patients are unable to form stable blood clots to help stop bleeding when they have an injury.  
 
Now, Debbie is a research fellow in the Pfizer Rare Disease Research Unit working on early stage drug development for hematological diseases such as hemophilia and sickle cell disease. In her current role, she has the opportunity to investigate experimental new medicines to potentially help others retain their mobility and function in spite of these often limiting diseases. 
 
“Blood coagulation is a process that’s very exquisite, it’s a cascade of events.  You might think of it as a domino: the dominoes start falling but in hemophilia one of those dominoes is missing and the patient cannot stop a bleed.  Many hemophilia patients bleed into their joints, which leads to arthritis later in life. The disease can be crippling and even fatal if not treated. ”
 
Centuries ago, a child with hemophilia often would not live past thirteen years old. During the early 1900s, there was no way to store blood and the standard treatment involved frequent visits to the hospital for fresh human-to-human blood transfusions.2 Even as early as 1960 patients would still need to go to the hospital to be treated for days and sometimes even weeks with fresh frozen plasma.3
 
Agote Transfusion
Dr. Luis Agote (2nd from right) overseeing one of the first safe and effective blood transfusions in 1914. Dr. Agote helped pioneer a way to move from direct human-to-human transfusion to safe, non-direct  infusion using sodium citrate as an anticoagulant.4. Photo source: Wikipedia commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_transfusion
 
Current therapies involve a replacement of the protein factor in which patients are deficient through recombinant technology, but the process still often requires multiple intravenous injections per week. Pfizer has been involved in the development of treatment options for hemophilia for over 20 years through work on recombinant proteins and other cutting edge areas of research.
 
“As a researcher, we spend a lot of time in the laboratory trying to develop new therapies.  We have lots of ideas.  We have lots of failures.  It’s not a straightforward process.  As a researcher, what drives me to go in every day is knowing that we have the potential to affect patients’ lives in a positive way. It is very humbling and reminds me how important my work is.”
 
1Hemophilia Federation of America, “What is Hemophilia.” Accessed 3 October 2016. Available at: http://www.hemophiliafed.org/bleeding-disorders/hemophilia/
2National Hemophilia Foundation, “History of Bleeding Disorders.” Accessed 3 October 2016. Available at: https://www.hemophilia.org/Bleeding-Disorders/History-of-Bleeding-Disorders
3American Society of Hematology, “Hemophilia: From Plasma to Recombinant Factors.” Accessed 3 October 2016. Available at: http://www.hematology.org/About/History/50-Years/1524.aspx
4"History of blood transfusion - The Institute of Biomedical Science." IBMS. Retrieved 2016-06-14. Accessed 4 October 2016. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Agote
Related Hot Topics
Media Name: CDK_Image_Thumbnail 1_300x170.png
Pfizer Builds on Nobel Prize-Winning Research to Fight Cancer
Media Name: GetScience-HotTopic_300x170px.jpg
How Virtual Reality Takes Scientists Inside New Molecules
The Promising Role of the Immune System in Cancer
The Promising Role of the Immune System in Cancer
Asking the Tough Questions: Janet Buhlmann in the Spotlight
Janet Buhlmann in the Spotlight
A Curious Mind: Dr. Bill Gruber in the Spotlight
A Curious Mind: Dr. Bill Gruber in the Spotlight
Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
Media Name: Lipset_Homepage_Feature_Tile_300x170.jpg
True Colors: Craig Lipset in the Spotlight
The Active Road to Fighting Rare Disease
The Active Road to Fighting Rare Disease
Tags
Research
Show
Hide

Footer menu

  • Your Health
    • Healthy Living
    • Disease Conditions
    • Manage Your Health
  • Our Science
    • Therapeutic Areas
    • Product Pipeline
    • Clinical Trials
    • R&D Platforms
    • Collaboration
    • Research SItes
  • Our People
    • Meet the Experts
    • The Journey
    • Leadership
    • Diverse Perspectives
  • Our Purpose
    • Commitment To Global Health
    • Positions on Health Policies
    • Transparency
    • Contributions & Partnerships
  • Our Products
    • Product Listing
    • How Drugs are Made
    • Distributors
    • Global Product Information Contacts

Footer aside

  • Footer Aside Section1
    • CAREER-SEEKERS
    • INVESTORS
    • News & Media
    • Partners
  • Footer Aside Section 2
    • Healthcare Professionals
    • Business To Business
    • Change Region
    • Sitemap
  • Footer Aside Section3
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
  • Footer Aside Section4
    • Contact Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
Pfizer Logo Footer

Copyright © 2002-2021 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. This information—including product information—is intended only for residents of the United States.
The products discussed herein may have different labeling in different countries.