If you prick us, we will bleed. The vast majority of us will then stop bleeding, thanks to a blood clot formed by an intricately balanced system of proteins, cells of the blood vessel wall, and cell fragments called platelets.

Biochemist Michael Boffa.

This is the topic of a free public lecture by biochemistry professor Michael Boffa, “Blood Clotting: Friend and Foe,” at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, at Canada South Science City.

Some individuals have a clotting defect, such as hemophilia, that prevents clots from forming. For many more of us, however, this life-saving system is also poised to strike us down without warning: heart attacks and strokes are the result of blood clotting gone rogue.

The mysteries of blood clotting have long fascinated researchers, and the fruits of their labours are seen in clot-busting drugs to treat heart attacks and strokes, new anticoagulants to prevent strokes, and gene therapy to treat hemophilia

Canadian doctors and scientists have made some of the most important discoveries in this area, and Dr. Boffa is continuing this legacy in his research laboratory at the University of Windsor. His presentation will take you into the blood vessel, into the world of the interventional cardiologist, and he will introduce you to a group of proteins whose delicate dance can mean the difference between life and death.

Part of the Science Café series, his lecture is aimed at a general audience and is sponsored by the UWindsor Faculty of Science. Canada South Science City is located at 930 Marion Avenue. The next in the series is scheduled for Wednesday, June 20, and will feature a presentation from earth sciences professor Phil Graniero about his discipline’s use of computer systems.