Past Events

2023-2024 Seminars

  • October 4th  2023: "Decoding Cancer through Giant Cells: Towards a Coherent Comprehension of Embryogenesis and Tumorigenesis at an Organismal Scale"

    • Jinsong Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
    • Professor with Tenure, Department of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

    Lecture Synopsis: Prepare to be captivated by a narrative that emerged from fortuitous circumstances. This discourse shall expound upon the intricate nuances surrounding polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) – erstwhile perceived as non-viable vestiges - which have undergone a remarkable transformation into the very "embryos" of malignancy. As the intricate pieces of this complex puzzle have coalesced harmoniously, a comprehensive theory has materialized, effectively rationalizing the labyrinthine conundrum of cancer into a coherent scientific framework.

  • October 25th, 2023: “Genetic Predisposition to Myeloid Malignancy.”

    • Akiko Shimamura, MD, PhD
    • Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Samuel E. Lux IV Chair in Hematology Oncology; Director, Bone Marrow Failure and MDS Program, Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

    Description: Genetic predisposition is increasingly recognized in a growing subset of patients with myeloid malignancy. Identification of patients with genetic predisposition to myeloid malignancy and clinical implications of diagnosis will be discussed. Many patients present with cytopenias prior to malignancy, which provides an opportunity for surveillance and leukemia interception. Recent advances highlight the key role of germline genetic mutations driving somatic mutations along adaptive or maladaptive pathways. These studies guide evidence-based surveillance approaches for patients with genetic predisposition to myeloid malignancy to inform strategies for leukemia interception.

  • November 15th, 2023: "Regulation of innate immunity by RUNX1"

    • NANCY A. SPECK, PH.D.
    • Chair and John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science II
    • Investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute

    Description: The transcription factor RUNX1 is mutated in familial platelet disorder with associated myeloid malignancies (FPDMM) and in sporadic myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia. Clonal hematopoiesis is accelerated and more penetrant in FPDMM compared to the general population, which likely contributes to the elevated leukemia risk. FPDMM patients also have a higher incidence of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and we hypothesize that increased inflammation may provide a selective pressure to drive clonal hematopoiesis.  I will discuss how RUNX1 loss elevates inflammation by epigenetically repressing two inflammatory signaling pathways in neutrophils, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and type I interferon (IFN) signaling in neutrophil precursors.

  • January 10, 2024:"Mechanisms underlying the fitness advantage of Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs during inflammatory stress"

    • Christine Zhang PhD
    • Instructor in Washington Univerisity in St. Lious

    Description:

    1. Part I (what has been done): Type II interferon signaling imparts a selection pressure that may benefit Dnmt3a-mutant HSCs
    2. Part II (what is being/will be done): Loss of Dnmt3a promotes DNA damage repair in the proliferative HSCs in response to inflammatory stress

2022-2023 Seminars

  • December 7, 2022: Josh Ofman, MD, MSHS

    • President, GRAIL

  • January 18, 2023: Possu Huang, PhD

    • Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University

  • February 1, 2023: Jonathan D. Licht, MD

    • Director, University of Florida Health Cancer Center

  • March 16, 2023: Sergei Doulatov

    • Associate Professor, Division of Hematology Adjunct Associate Professor of Genome Sciences University of Washington

  • March 23, 2023: John Dick, PhD, FRS

    • Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Center

  • April 5, 2023: Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD

    • Hematology Team Leader, Division of Hematology & Oncology, UC San Diego Health Moores Cancer Center

  • April 13, 2023: Andreas Trumpp, PhD

    • “Stem Cells and Cancer” Division Head, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

  • April 26, 2023: Leroy Hood, MD, PhD

    • Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer, Institute for Systems Biology

  • June 14, 2023: Renata Pasqualini, PhD

    • Chief, Division of Cancer Biology, Rutgers Cancer Institute

Inaugural Edward P. Evans Foundation MDS Centers Symposium

Thursday, July 7 | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST