Research Abstract

My research program is currently focused on the study of normal and aberrant hematopoiesis, particularly in the study of hematolymphoid malignancies. I have prior training in synthetic organic chemistry, structural biology. I spent several years in the pharmaceutical industry prior to my return to academia where I both conducted drug discovery medicinal chemistry and led a target validation program within Cancer Biology. Since returning to clinical practice in hematopathology and molecular pathology, my research has identified diagnostic and prognostic miRNAs in MDS and has defined the role of hypermethylation in the regulation of miRNA in MDS. We have also developed miRNA-based models of the MDS phenotype in which we can demonstrate the activity of therapeutic compound. Using next generation sequencing methods we have optimized for small RNAs, we have identified both miRNAs and tRNA-derived fragments that are found in untreated samples that correlate with response to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. My research also extends to other proposed therapies for hematolymphoid malignancies and in using flow and mass cytometry to better understand their mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential. In addition, I have conducted studies on cost effective practice of hematopathology as well as numerous clinical publications, with an emphasis on hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and lymphoma.