Updates on Genetics and Epigenetics of Haematological Malignancies: From Knowledge to Applications

I am a researcher in the field of leukemia and lymphoma genomics. My current research focuses on the elucidation of oncogenic mechanisms driven by genetic alterations, the development of genetically manipulated mouse models of T-cell lymphoma and the therapeutic targeting of key oncogenic pathways responsible for T-cell transformation.

During my postdoctoral training I participated in pioneer work in the development of the ChIP-on-chip technique in collaboration with Dr. Rick Young and applied this method to the characterization of the transcriptional regulatory networks downstream of the TAL1 oncogene in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

After joining the faculty at Columbia University I have used gene expression profiling, ChIP-on-chip and ChIP-seq analysis for the identification of NOTCH1 direct target genes responsible for the transformation of T-cell progenitors and identified mutations in PTEN as responsible for resistance to gamma secretase inhibitor therapy in T-ALL and RUNX1 as a novel tumor suppressor in T-ALL. I have been using next generation sequencing analysis to identify novel mutations associated with T cell malignancies including those in the PHF6 gene, the NT5C2 mutations associated with chemotherapy resistance, the FYN and RHOA G17V mutations in Peripheral T-cell Lymphomas (PTCLs) and CARD11 and PKG1 in Cutaneous T-cell Lymphomas (CTCL).