Specifically, we are

1) Aiming to refine our new AML classification framework and advance it into clinical testing. By deploying the new hierarchy classification biomarkers on remission cells recovered from patients who are poised to eventually relapse, our research will unlock a new opportunity to consider clinical trials to prevent relapse through earlier targeting of relapse-fated LSC. (Funded by Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Pre-Clinical Acceleration Translation Award; CIHR Foundation grant; CCSRI)

2) Advancing the mechanistic understanding of human leukemic processes and providing rich avenues of clinical translation, including the development of candidates for therapeutic targeting and novel biomarkers of relapse-fated subclones that permit monitoring of patients at risk for relapse. Our ultimate goal is targeting minor relapse-fated subclones while they remain vulnerable before they engender further mutational progression resulting in therapy-resistant relapse disease. (Funded by Terry Fox Research Institute, Program Project Grant; CIHR Foundation grant; CCSRI)

3) Focusing on age-related clonal hematopoiesis and cardiovascular disease by a) defining the specific genetic features that distinguish individuals with ARCH that are linked to increased risk of CVD with those of individuals with ARCH but who do not progress to CVD; b) investigating blood samples banked from individuals identified with ARCH-CVD risk and undertake single-cell transcriptional and epigenetic analysis of defined HSC, progenitors and mature lineage cells to determine the mechanism of how the specific features of ARCH-CVD perturb normal blood development to contribute to eventual CVD disease. (Funded by Medicine by Design, University of Toronto, Canada First Research Excellence Fund, Cycle 2 Award)