- PharmD, MSc, PhD
Education & Training
• Graduate Research Assistant Scholarship. 2019-2024
• Robert L. Lester Award for Most Outstanding Graduate Student. 2024
• Best Poster Presentation Award 2nd Place-Poster Session 1. The 19th Biennial Midwest Platelet Conference, University of Kentucky, 2024.
• Deneys Van der Westhuyzen Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Poster Presentation (1st place). The 26th Cardiovascular Research Day, University of Kentucky, 2024
• Data Club Travel Award. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, 2024
• Data Club Travel Award. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, 2023
• Professional Development Grant. 2021.
• Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Travel Award. The 23rd Cardiovascular Research Day, 2021
• Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department Travel Award. 2020 Campbell University
• Outstanding Student Advocate. 2019
• Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society, lifetime membership based on academic achievements. 2019
• Best poster award in the 8th Annual Inter-professional Health Sciences Research Symposium at Campbell University. 2018
1. Alexis N. Smith, Hammodah R. Alfar, Smita Joshi, Daniëlle M. Coenen, Joshua Lykins, Isabelle C. Becker, Brittany E. Dong, Harry Chanzu, Chi Peng, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Linda Omali, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Brian Storrie, Joseph Italiano, and Sidney W. Whiteheart. “Uncovering the role of the Hsp40 family member cysteine string protein-α in mouse platelets”. Blood Adv (2025); 9 (16): 4111-4125
2. Shayan Mohammadmoradi, Kory Heier, Elizabeth R. Driehaus, Hammodah R. Alfar, Sam Tyagi, Kristen McQuerry, Sidney W. Whiteheart. “Impact of Aspirin and Anti-Platelet Therapy on Progression of Thoracic and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms”. Atherosclerosis (2025); 407 (119224)
3. Alexis Smith, Smita Joshi, Harry Chanzu, Danielle Coenen, Hammodah Alfar, Joshua Lykins, Isabelle Becker, chi Peng, Kanakanagavalli Shravani prakhya, Linda Omali, Joseph Italiano, and Sidney Whiteheart. “Uncovering the Role of the Hsp40 Family Member, Cysteine String Protein-α, in Mouse Platelets”. ATVB (2025); 45 (Supplement 1). Conference abstract
4. Shayan Mohammadmoradi, Elizabeth Driehaus, Hammodah Alfar, Smita Joshi, and Sidney Whiteheart. “VAMP8 Deficiency Attenuates AngII-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation via Platelet Reprogramming and Enhanced ECM Stability”. ATVB (2025); 45 (Supplement 1). Conference abstract
5. Martha M.S. Sim, Molly Y. Mollica, Hammodah R. Alfar, Melissa Hollifield, Dominic W. Chung, Xiaoyun Fu, Siva Gandhapudi, Daniëlle M. Coenen, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Dlovan F. D Mahmood, Meenakshi Banerjee, Chi Peng, Xian Li, Alice C. Thornton, James Z. Porterfield, Jamie L. Sturgill, Gail A. Sievert, Marietta Barton-Baxter, Ze Zheng, Kenneth S. Campbell, Jerold G. Woodward, José A. López, Sidney W. Whiteheart, Beth A. Garvy, Jeremy P. Wood “Unfolded Von Willebrand Factor Binds Protein S and Reduces Anticoagulant Activity”. Blood Vessels, Thrombosis & Hemostasis (2025); 2 (1): 100030
6. Hammodah R. Alfar, Cecil Chen, Eric Lachacz, Weifeng Tang, and Yuqian Zhang. “Clinical Evidence of Immunogenicity of CAR-T Cell Therapies and Its Implication in the Clinical Development of CAR-T Drug Products”. Frontiers in Immunology (2025); 16: 1512494
7. Shayan Mohammadmoradi, Elizabeth Driehaus, Hammodah Alfar, Smita Joshi, and Sidney Whiteheart. “VAMP8 Deficiency Attenuates AngII-Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation via Platelet Reprogramming and Enhanced ECM Stability”. bioRxiv (2025): 2025.02. 03.635525
8. Daniëlle M. Coenen, Hammodah R. Alfar and Sidney W. Whiteheart. “Platelet endocytosis and α-granule cargo packaging are essential for normal skin wound healing”. bioRxiv (2025): 2025.02. 01.636051
9. Joshua Lykins, Isabelle C. Becker, Virginia Camacho, Hammodah R. Alfar, JoonWoo Park, Joseph Italiano, Sidney W. Whiteheart “Megakaryocyte retention and packaging of platelet factor 4 is controlled by the intragranular proteoglycan serglycin”. Blood Adv (2025); 9 (1): 15-28
10. Hammodah R. Alfar, Sidney W. Whiteheart “Bacterial Interactions with Platelets: Defining Key Themes”. Frontiers in Immunology (2025); 16: 1610289
11. Shayan Mohammadmoradi, Elizabeth Driehaus, Hammodah Alfar, Smita Joshi, and Sidney Whiteheart. “Loss of the v-SNARE VAMP8 Protects Against Aortic Aneurysms: Implications of Impaired Platelet Cargo Release”. Circulation; 150, (Supplement 1): A4138942-A4138942. Conference abstract
12. Dlovan F D Mahmood, Ilaria De Simone, Martha Sim, Hammodah R Alfar, Ziyu Zhang, Wen Dai, Gabriel D Schmuck, Bas De Laat, Dana Huskens, Ze Zheng, Jeremy P Wood. “Elevated Microclots with Low D-Dimer As an Indicator of Impaired Plasmin Generation in Patients with Viral Infections”. Blood (2024); 144, (Supplement 1): 3954-3955. Conference abstract
13. Shayan Mohammadmoradi, Elizabeth Driehaus, Kory Heier, Hammodah Alfar, Joshua Lykins, Bryana Levitan, Ming Zhang, Smita Joshi, Kristen McQuerry, Sidney W Whiteheart. “The Protective Effect Of Vamp8 Deficiency In Aortopathies: Potential Impact Of Impaired Platelet Cargo Release”. ATVB (2024); 44 (Supplement 1): A149-A149. Conference abstract
14. Smita Joshi, Alexis Smith, Hammodah R Alfar, Kanakanagavalli Shravani prakhya, Harry Chanzu, Sidney W Whiteheart. “Hierarchical Redundancy And Contextual Roles Of Vesicle-associated Membrane Proteins (VAMPs) In Platelet Function”. ATVB (2024); 44 (Supplement 1): A154-A154. Conference abstract
15. Sagar S. Matharu, Cassidy S. Nordmann, Kurtis R. Ottman, Rahul Akkem, Douglas Palumbo, Denzel R. D. Cruz, Kenneth Campbell, Gail Sievert, Jamie Sturgill, James Z. Porterfield, Smita Joshi, Hammodah R. Alfar, Chin Peng, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Jeffrey A. Kamykowski, Jeremy P. Wood, Beth Garvy, Maria A. Aronova1, Sidney W. Whiteheart, Richard D. Leapman, and Brian Storrie. “Deep learning, 3D ultrastructural analysis reveals quantitative differences in platelet and organelle packing in COVID-19/SARSCoV2 patient-derived platelets”. Platelets (2023); 34 (1): 2264978.
16. Alexis N. Smith, Smita Joshi, Harry Chanzu, Hammodah R. Alfar, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, and Sidney W. Whiteheart “α-Synuclein is the major platelet isoform but is dispensable for activation, secretion, and thrombosis”. Platelets (2023); 34 (1): 2267147.
17. Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Linda Omali, Hemendra Vekaria, Daniëlle Coenen, Joshua Lykins, Hammodah R. Alfar and Sidney W. Whiteheart “Platelet glycogenolysis is important for energy production and function”. Platelets (2023); 34(1): 2222184.
18. Hammodah R. Alfar, Dominic Ngima Nthenge-Ngumbau, Kathryn E. Saatman, and Sidney W. Whiteheart. “EcoHIV-Infected Mice Show No Signs of Platelet Activation”. Viruses (2024); 16 (1), 55. Issue cover
19. S Joshi, A Smith, H Alfar, K Prakhya, I Pokrovskaya, H Chanzu, B Storrie, S Whiteheart “Manipulating Platelet Secretion to Affect Hemostasis”. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (2023); 7 (Supplement 2): 100570. Conference abstract
20. Hammodah R. Alfar, Daphne N. Pariser, Harry Chanzu, Smita Joshi, Daniëlle M. Coenen, Joshua Lykins, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Mary Jane Potash, Wei Chao, Jennifer Kelschenbach, David J. Volsky, Kelly Metcalf-Pate, and Sidney W. Whiteheart. “A comprehensive and optimized protocol for the production of infective EcoHIV virions and essential quality controls”. STAR protocols (2023); 4 (3):102368.
21. Smita Joshi, Alexis N. Smith, Kanakanagavalli Shravani Prakhya, Hammodah R. Alfar, Joshua Lykins, Ming Zhang, Irina Pokrovskaya, Maria Aronova, Richard D. Leapman, Brian Storrie, and Sidney W. Whiteheart. “Ferric Chloride-Induced Arterial Thrombosis in a Murine Model: Measurement of Occlusion and Sample Collection for Electron Microscopy”. JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) (2023); 193, e64985.
22. Martha Sim, Hammodah Alfar, Melissa Hollifield, Dominic W Chung, Xiaoyun Fu, Meenakshi Banerjee, Chi Peng, Xian Li, Alice Thornton, James Z Porterfield, Jamie Sturgill, Gail A Sievert, Marietta Barton-Baxter, Kenneth S Campbell, Jerold G Woodward, José A López, Sidney W Whiteheart, Beth A Garvy, Jeremy P Wood. “Unfolded Von Willebrand Factor Interacts with Protein S and Limits Its Anticoagulant Activity”. Blood (2022); 140 (Supplement 1): 2710–2711. Conference abstract
23. MM Sim, HR Alfar, M Hollifield, DW Chung, X Fu, M Banerjee, X Li, AC Thornton, JZ Porterfield, JL Sturgill, GA Sievert, M Barton-Baxter, KS Campbell, JG Woodward, JA Lopez, SW Whiteheart, BA Garvy, JP Wood. “HIV-1 and SARS-CoV2 both cause protein s, but through different mechanisms”. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (2021) 5 (SUPPL 2): 1509117. Conference abstract
24. Martha MS Sim, MSc, Meenakshi Banerjee, PhD, Melissa Hollifield, MSc, Hammodah Alfar, Xian Li, PhD, Alice Thornton, MD, James Z Porterfield, MD, Jamie Sturgill, PhD, Gail A Sievert, Marietta Barton-Baxter, Kenneth S Campbell, PhD, Jerold G Woodward, PhD, Sidney W Whiteheart, PhD, Beth A Garvy, PhD, Jeremy P Wood, PhD. “Inflammation Drives Coagulopathies in Sars-Cov-2 Patients”. Blood (2020); 136 (Supplement 1): 34–35. Conference abstract
25. Stephen P. Holly, Nidhi Gera, Putianqi Wang, Alexander Wilson, Ziqiang Guan, Ling Lin, Brian Cooley, Hammodah R. Alfar, Ruchi G. Patil, Raymond Piatt, Tina M. Leisner, Wolfgang Bergmeier, Rinku Majumder, and Leslie V. Parise. “Ether Lipid Metabolism by AADACL1 Regulates Platelet Function and Thrombosis”. Blood Adv (2019); 3 (22): 3818–3828.
