Biography
Lucy Zumwinkle Kornblith, M.D., F.A.C.S. received her undergraduate degree from University of California Santa Barbara, her M.D. from the University of Colorado, completed her General Surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), a Trauma and Critical Care Clinical Translational Research Fellowship at UCSF, and subspecialty training in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at UCSF prior to joining the faculty at UCSF.
She clinically practices Trauma Surgery, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care. She has played a pivotal role in the translational study of blood system failure after injury, centrally focused on post-injury platelet biology. Her research program is multi-pronged, covering 1) Translational research to identify novel biology of blood system failure through the lens of platelets, 2) Large observational studies to identify predictors of bad outcomes after injury, and 3) Clinical trials investigating therapeutics and resuscitation strategies for injured patients. Her research program has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the American College of Surgeons, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the UCSF School of Medicine Irene Perstein Award, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. In 2024, Dr. Kornblith became the Director of Research for the UCSF School of Medicine Vice Dean's Office at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where she serves and represents approximately 300 investigators and 800 research staff. In 2025, Dr. Kornblith was appointed the Elsbach-Richards Endowed Chair in Surgery I at UCSF.
Education
Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date |
---|---|---|---|
University of California San Francisco | Trauma Surgery | 2018 | |
University of California San Francisco | Surgical Critical Care | 2017 | |
University of California San Francisco | General Surgery Residency | 2016 | |
University of Colorado | MD | 2009 | |
University of California Santa Barbara | BS | Biological Sciences | 2005 |
Board Certifications
- American Board of Surgery, Surgery
- American Board of Surgery, Surgical Critical Care
Awards & Honors
Award | Conferred By | Date |
---|---|---|
George H. A. Clowes Jr., MD, FACS, Memorial Research Career Development Award | The American College of Surgeons | 2023/2028 |
UCSF Holly Smith Award for Exceptional Service to the School of Medicine | University of California San Francisco | 2023 |
40 under 40, The AWS | AWS | 2022 |
Canizaro Award, The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma | The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma | 2021 |
UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute Mentor of the Year | University of California San Francisco | 2021 |
Department of Surgery Muriel Steele Society Honor Roll | University of California San Francisco | 2019/2022 |
Irene Perstein Award | University of California San Francisco | 2019 |
Department of Surgery Robert C Lim Jr. MD & Arthur N Thomas M | University of California San Francisco | 2019 |
Trauma Research Scholarship | Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma | 2018 |
Excellence in Research Award | Surgical Critical Care Program Directors Society Board of Directors | 2017 |
Fred H. & Esther E. Nusz Resident Achievement Award | University of California San Francisco | 2016 |
Haile T. Debas Resident Teaching Award | University of California San Francisco | 2016 |
Earl G Young First Place Winner | Western Trauma Association | 2014 |
Collaboration Interests
Dr. Kornblith is a surgeon scientist focused on translational studies in the field of Trauma with a particular interest in elucidating the mechanisms and mediators of trauma-induced coagulopathy and resuscitation techniques for post-traumatic hemorrhage. She has essential research experience studying post-injury platelet biology and technical expertise in functional laboratory measures of coagulation. She has extensive experience and expertise in the nuances of biospecimen collection in severely injured patients. She is trained in clinical research design and biostatistics from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at UCSF. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the American College of Surgeons, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the UCSF School of Medicine Irene Perstein Award, and the Doris Duke Chartiable Foundation. She collaborates cross-disciplinary and multi-institutionally to advance knowledge within her field of interest.
I am interested in:
- academic collaboration
- academic senate committee service
- community and stakeholder organizations
- companies and entrepreneurs
- multicenter clinical research
- physician scientist
- press
- prospective donors
Clinical Expertise
Acute Care Surgery
General Surgery
Surgical Critical Care
Trauma Surgery
Clinical Trials
- Complex And Simple Appendicitis: REstrictive or Liberal Post-operative Antibiotic eXposure - UCSF (NCT05966454)Related Conditions: Appendicitis| Start Date: | End Date:
- Related Conditions: COVID-19, Vaccine| Start Date: | End Date:
- Cold Stored Platelet in Hemorrhagic Shock (NCT04667468)Related Conditions: Trauma, Hemorrhage| Start Date: | End Date:
- Post-Injury Platelet Biology: Mechanisms and Outcomes (NCT03682757)Related Conditions: Wound and Injuries, Blood Platelets, Endothelium| Start Date: | End Date:
Book Chapters
- Diane A. Schwartz, Lucy Z. Kornblith, John B. Holcomb, Mitchell Jay Cohen. “Chapter 128. Multitrauma Derangement in Hemostasis and Thrombosis.” In: Marder et al: Hemostasis and Thrombosis: Basic Principles and Clinical Practice, 6th eds. 2013.
- Rochelle Dicker, Lucy Z. Kornblith. “Chapter 26. Acute Abdominal Pain.” In: Vincent et al: Textbook of Critical Care, 7th eds. 2017.
- Anamaria J. Robles, Lucy Z. Kornblith. “Coagulopathy in Trauma”. In: Dynamed Plus, 2017.
- Zachary Matthay, Lucy Z. Kornblith. “Platelets.” In: Trauma Induced Coagulopathy, 2nd eds. 2019.
Research Activities and Funding
The Platelet Transcriptome and Organ Failure After Injury: Discovering Molecular Biomarkers and Preventative Targets through Interrogating Novel RNA Modifications NIH/NIGMS 1R35GM150656-01Sep 1, 2023 - Aug 31, 2028 Role: Principal Investigator | ||||
Platelet Biology: Mechanisms and Outcomes George H. A. Clowes, Jr., MD, FACS, Memorial Research Career Development Award, American College of Surgeons Jul 1, 2023 - Jun 20, 2028 Role: Principal Investigator | ||||
Freeze Dried Platelet Extracellular Vesicles as a Hemostatic Adjunct to Resuscitation for Prolonged Field Care DOD/USAMRAA W81XWH2010216Jul 1, 2020 - Jun 30, 2022 Role: Co-Investigator | ||||
The ACCT Study: Assessing COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathy and Thrombosis NIH/NCATS UL1TR001872Jun 1, 2020 - May 31, 2021 Role: Principal Investigator | ||||
Post-Injury Platelet Genomics University of California School of Medicine Irene Perstein Award Aug 1, 2019 - Jul 31, 2020 Role: Primary Investigator |
Faculty Mentoring
Dr. Kornblith mentees are in pursuit of academic scientific agendas across various points in their careers, various specialties, and various institutions (including other University of California campuses). She works with undergraduate students from various universities to learn important activities of translational research including data collection via chart review, clotting assays, plasma organization, transport of biospecimens, and laboratory clerical activities. She serves as a mentor for UCSF medical students in the UCSF School of Medicine Deep Explore program and Clinical Microsystems Course, and has UCSF medical students in her laboratory. She is a designated clinical and research advisor to residents in the UCSF Department of Surgery. Dr. Kornblith was awarded the 2021 UCSF CTSI Mentor of the Year Award. In addition. Dr. Kornblith mentors beyond UCSF via participating on Thesis Statement Review Committees and dissertation committees at the University of California, Berkeley.
Collaboration Interests
- Academic Collaboration
- Academic Senate Committee Service
- Multicenter Clinical Research
- Community and Stakeholder Organizations
- Companies and Entrepreneurs
- Press
- Prospective Donors
- Physician-Scientist
In the News
Grants and Funding
- The Platelet Transcriptome and Organ Failure After Injury: Discovering Molecular Biomarkers and Preventative Targets through Interrogating Novel RNA Modifications | NIH/NIGMS | 2023-09-01 - 2028-08-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
- Platelet Biology: Mechanisms and Outcomes | George H. A. Clowes, Jr., MD, FACS, Memorial Research Career Development Award, American College of Surgeons | 2023-07-01 - 2028-06-20 | Role: Principal Investigator
- Post-Injury Platelet Biology: Mechanisms and Outcomes | NIH | 2018-09-20 - 2023-08-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
- Freeze Dried Platelet Extracellular Vesicles as a Hemostatic Adjunct to Resuscitation for Prolonged Field Care | DOD/USAMRAA | 2020-07-01 - 2022-06-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
- The ACCT Study: Assessing COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathy and Thrombosis | NIH/NCATS | 2020-06-01 - 2021-05-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
- Post-Injury Platelet Genomics | University of California School of Medicine Irene Perstein Award | 2019-08-01 - 2020-07-31 | Role: Primary Investigator
- Post-Injury Platelet Function | Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma | 2018-08-01 - 2019-07-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
Research Narrative
Traumatic injury is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite many advances in care, death from hemorrhage remains a primary cause of early, preventable deaths from injury. Disordered coagulation in the setting of injury and shock, termed trauma-induced coagulopathy, is seen in 25% of these hemorrhaging patients.
Multiple mediators and mechanisms have been targeted to improve outcomes from trauma-induced coagulopathy, but the cellular contributors remain understudied. These cellular contributors include platelets and endothelium, and are the focus of the basic and translational trauma research laboratory at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital led by Lucy Kornblith, M.D.
Dr. Kornblith is a surgeon scientist focused on elucidating the mechanisms and mediators of trauma-induced coagulopathy to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve the care of critically injured patients. She has expertise in the study of post-injury platelet biology, functional laboratory measures of coagulation, and in nuances of biospecimen collection in large cohorts of severely injured patients.
The goals of the research program are to understand how blood system failure after severe injury contributes to bad outcomes, and to identify therapeutic targets and optimize treatments to improve the care of injured patients. This is done through:
- Translational research to identify novel biology of blood system failure through the lens of platelets.
- Large observational studies to identify predictors of bad outcomes after injury.
- Clinical trials investigating therapeutics and resuscitation strategies for injured patients.
Research Interests
Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy
Whole Blood
Platelets
Functional Coagulation
Transfusion
Lung Injury
Tracheostomy
Publications
- Pathogen reduction diminishes the protective effects of platelets on endothelial barrier permeability in vitro.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Prothrombotic Antibodies Targeting the Spike Protein's Receptor-Binding Domain in Severe COVID-19.| | PubMed
- A Subset of Antibodies to the Spike Protein's Receptor-Binding Domain in Severe COVID-19 Activate Platelets.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Effect of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on survival free of organ support in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (ACTIV-4a): a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, platform trial.| | PubMed
- Multiple organ failure: What you need to know.| | PubMed
- Promoting Female Surgeons Through Structured Award Nominations.| | PubMed
- Balanced resuscitation: the role during non-massive hemorrhage.| | PubMed
- Platelet releasates mitigate the endotheliopathy of trauma.| | PubMed
- A comparison of computational algorithms for the Bayesian analysis of clinical trials.| | PubMed
- Early Cold Stored Platelet Transfusion Following Severe Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.| | PubMed