Research We Fund

The overall focus of my research is improving outcomes with immunotherapy in multiple myeloma.  I will accomplish this through 1) novel clinical trials of bispecific antibodies and CAR-T therapy; 2) outcomes research including real world evidence and patient reported outcomes to understand the safety, efficacy and areas of unmet need with standard of care immunotherapy; and 3) correlative studies focused on understanding factors impacting the efficacy and toxicity of these therapies.

My group studies the mechanisms of relapse and toxicity after chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CART) immunotherapy to rationally design innovative next-generation immunotherapies for relapsed/refractory lymphomas. To achieve this goal, we use patient-derived samples, cutting-edge technologies, and translational models. The ultimate objective of my research is to establish novel clinical strategies to overcome relapses and improve the safety of our patients.

We investigate the biology, genetics and treatment of myeloid malignancies, including CHIP, MDS and AML. Our goal is to improve our understanding of the effect of chromatin organization on hematopoietic stem cell transformation in the context of mutations in cohesin genes and other recurrently mutated epigenetic modulators. We employ a combination of genomic, mouse modeling, biochemistry and molecular biology approaches to answer disease relevant questions to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Hematopoiesis is tightly regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic signals, alterations of which can affect hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function and lead to leukemia. We will employ novel preclinical mouse models to investigate the mechanisms that promote leukemogenesis, with the focus on interplay between DNA damage and immune response; stem cell-niche interaction; aging; oncogenic stress-induced complex formation; thereby develop new approaches to improve HSC function and for leukemia therapy.