Hematopoiesis & Hematologic Malignancies

The HHM Research Program is a basic science research program built on robust transdisciplinary collaborations to catalyze impactful research and team science. The Program is devoted to mentoring new faculty to become experts in the field, nourishing our team members, and supporting IUSCCC efforts in the community. In the current grant period, we had two themes. Theme 1, Hematopoiesis, aimed to understand the mechanistic regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells (HPCs), enhance mobilization of HSCs and HPCs for better transplant engraftment, and identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to modulate Graft vs. Host Disease. Theme 2, Hematological Malignancies, aimed to clarify the cellular processes and intracellular signaling that drive the biology of hematologic malignancies and to better understand the relationship between hematologic malignancies and the bone microenvironment. Significant advances were made over that period. As part of HHM strategic planning (with input from the IUSCCC Director, Executive Committee, and EAB) to support the IUSCCC mission to lift the burden of cancer in Indiana and with additional recently recruited translational scientists, we plan to transition the HHM Program from a basic science to a translational research program over the next grant period. Our long-term goal is to advance treatment of hematologic malignancies through rigorous discoveries that will lead to novel biomarkers and therapeutics. Our overall themes remain the same, providing a comprehensive and complementary paradigm to address initiation, progression, and targeting of hematological cancers within their hostile niche and the pathway to successful therapy development.