On December 3rd, 2024, Stony Brook University Hospital held the formal dedication of The Dr. Ellinor I. Peerschke Hematology Lab.
From the Stony Brook University Hospital dedication agenda:
Ellinor Peerschke, PhD, a brilliant hematologist, made significant contributions to our understanding of platelet physiology throughout her distinguished 40-year career. Her pioneering research collaborations have led to groundbreaking discoveries, including the interactions betwwen platelets and cancer and the anticoagulant effects of aspirin.
Ellinor earned her biology degree from Rutgers University and completed her PhD at New York University, where she studied under the mentorship of world-renowned platelet physiologist Marjorie Zucker, PhD.
After Ellinor's graduation, her longtime mentor and research collaborator, Barry Coller, MD, appointed her head of Stony Brook's Hematology Laboratories. She held this position from 1980 to 1996, during which time she inspired and guided numerous clinical pathology students.
Following her tenure at Stony Brook, Ellinor became the chief of the Clinical Hematology Laboratory Service at Weill Cornell Medical Center. In 2007, she was appointed the chief of the Translational and Applied Research Division and became the director of the Hematology and Coagulation Laboratories at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She also served as a professor of hematology at both institutions.
In 2011, Ellinor was appointed vice chair for research, education and development and the director of Laboratory Medicine Fellowship Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Together with her husband, Berhane Ghebrehiwet, DVM, DSc, she conducted important immunologic studies. She published more than 150 papers over the course of her career, including the identification of novel membrane receptors for the complement component C1q and exploration of the interaction between cancer and the coagulation system.
Ellinor also held leadership roles in several professional organizations, including the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists and the North America n Specialized Coagulation Laboratory Association.
She was born in Braunschweig, Germany, and moved to New Jersey at the age of 11. She was deeply devoted to her family and loved to travel the world with Berhane. She was also passionate about music, especially playing the piano and attending performances at the Metropolitan Opera.
