Professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology, Director of WI Blood Cancer Research Institute
School of Medicine and Public Health | Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology | Wisconsin Blood Cancer Research Institute
Hometown: White Plains, NY
Current Position(s): Director, Wisconsin Blood Cancer Research Institute; Co-Director, Genetic Epigenetic Mechanisms Program, Carbone Cancer Center; Professor, Cell Regenerative Biology, U. Wisconsin-Madison (2003-present).
Education and Training: BS, BA, Biochemistry (honors), Anthropology, U. Vermont; PhD, Pharmacology, U. Michigan (William Pratt); Postdoctoral, NIH/NCI (Gordon Hager); Staff Fellow, NIH/NIDDK (Gary Felsenfeld).
Previous Appointments: Assistant Professor (1994-99); Associate Professor, tenure (1999-2003); U. Wisconsin-Madison.
Honors and Awards: Pharmaceutical Manufacturers American Foundation Faculty Development Award; Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) Scholar; NIH K02 Research Career Development Award; NIH R37 MERIT; U. Michigan Pharmacology Distinguished Alumnus; Shaw Scholar;Romnes Scholar; Kellett Mid-Career Award; WI Alumni Research Foundation Gary Felsenfeld Professorship; Gwendolyn and Lowell Smythe Professorship; UW Medical Foundation Professorship. Trainee awards include Hilldale; Goldwater Scholar; Herbert Tabor Young Investigator, LLS Fellow, ASH Scholar.
Representative Service Activities: American Soc. of Hematology Red Cell Biology Scientific Committee Chair (2013), Vice Chair (2012), and Member (2009-2013); Scientific Affairs (2014-2018); Government Affairs Liaison (2016-2018); Training (2019-2022); Task Force PhD Careers (2019-2022); Hematology Mentorship Oversite Working Group (2022-2025); Awards (2023-2026). Founding Director, UW-Madison Blood Research Program, WI Blood Cancer Research Institute, Vascular Biology Research Group; Created, Co-Direct Genetic Epigenetic Mechanisms Program, Carbone Cancer Center; UW-Madison T32 Coordinating Committees: Program Co-Director, Hematology T32;Cell Molecular Pathology, Molecular Cellular Pharmacology; 152 predoc, postdoc, junior faculty mentoring committees (guiding philosophy: break-down barriers between basic, translational, clinical science; diversity/equity/inclusion; multidisciplinarity). Co-Vice Chair/Co-Chair Red Cell GRC; NIH Study Sections, Chair, NIH Erythrocyte Leukocyte Biology; Member, HTBT;ISEH Committees: Board of Directors, Program, Finance; Advisory Boards: Yale Center of Excellence in Molecular Hematology, Harvard/MIT P01; U. Penn. Hematopoiesis T32, NY Blood Center P01;Member, LLS, Edward Evans review panels; Blood, JBC, MCB editorial boards.
Talks:
Discovering genetic and epigenetic mechanisms to innovate blood cancer prevention and treatment strategies
Aberrations in genetic and epigenetic mechanisms governing blood cell development or hematopoiesis lead to leukemias, which often cannot be treated to yield long-term survival. We have discovered human genetic variation that creates a predisposition for the failure of bone marrow and the development of leukemia. These discoveries led to advanced knowledge on leukemia predisposition mechanisms and have had clinical impact, specifically, to guide clinical genetic screening and curate the significance of patient genetic variation. While this scientific journey began with discovery science to gain deep insights into gene control, chromosome regulation, and cell biology, it has unveiled discoveries that changed clinical practice.