simply blood

People often ask me what I like most about being a professor. While there are many rewarding aspects of being a PI, such as directing your own research program and training the next generation of scientists, I find travel to be the most enjoyable. This hasn’t always been the case. As a young adult, I dreaded travel and used to count down the number of days until I returned home. I think the change happened as a result of attending scientific conferences where I could learn the latest advances and meet others with similar interests. These days I attend many meetings to catch up with friends and hear the most recent breakthroughs in hematology research.   Most work related travel for trainees and early career investigators involves attending scientific conferences. These are important events that let you present your work, get helpful feedback, and extend your connections. Unfortunately, with decreases in funding and travel restrictions enacted by some institutions, in-person att...

This week on Simply Blood we are completing our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. This final part features the ISEH 2025 Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award Winner:  Vanessa Scanlon, PhD.  Professor Scanlon discusses being an advocate in your day-to-day as a leader, her involvement in multiple summer research programs aimed at providing opportunities to students from underrepresented backgrounds, and advice for team leaders on fostering an inclusive environment.  Vanessa Scanlon, PhD Assistant Professor, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Biology, UConn Health Assistant Professor Adjunct, Yale School of Medicine Blog post contributed by Gemma Kelly of the ISEH Junior Faculty Committee. Please note that the statements made by Simply Blood authors are their own views and not necessarily the views of ISEH. ISEH disclaims any or all liability arising from any author's statements or materials.

  Welcome to the Preprint Watch, where we highlight some of the latest and most interesting preprints for the ISEH community. In this issue, we’re highlighting preprints of note from June. If you'd like to submit your preprint, please complete this brief form.  STEM AND PROGENITOR CELLS BIOLOGY  Hematopoietic stem cells undergo bidirectional fate transitions in vivo https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.23.639689v2 From the authors: Sequential introduction of DNA barcodes in vivo was developed to assess time-dependent changes in cell fate. Clonal phylogenetic tracer (CP-tracer) enabled high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of ∼100,000 subclones derived from ∼500 individual hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Bidirectional fate transitions between myeloid-biased haematopoietic stem cells (My-HSCs) and lineage-balanced haematopoietic stem cells (balanced-HSCs) were observed. Hhex was identified as a molecular driver of HSC lymphoid competence. GATA2 Mediates Macrophag...

  Thank You Sponsors & Exhibitors The 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Experimental Hematology is taking place in Kumamoto, Japan. The exciting program  includes career and technology sessions, networking events, as well as talks and poster presentations from trainees, new investigators and leaders in the field. On behalf of the ISEH Board of Directors, volunteers and staff, we'd like to thank our 2025 sponsors and exhibitors, seen below. Check back in as we update our list of ISEH 2025 supporters. Platinum Silver Bronze     Travel Grant Supporter Exhibitors Additional Supporters

This week on Simply Blood we are continuing our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. In part V, we are featuring the ISEH 2025 Outstanding Mentor Award Winner: Teresa Bowman, PhD.  Professor Bowman reflects on her mentoring style, provides advice on navigating group lab dynamics, and highlights past mentors that have inspired her throughout her career. Teresa Bowman, PhD Chair & Professor, Department of Developmental & Molecular Biology First-year PhD Advisor Albert Einstein College of Medicine Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Department of Oncology Department of Medicine Blog post contributed by Nick van Gastel of the ISEH Junior Faculty Committee. Please note that the statements made by Simply Blood authors are their own views and not necessarily the views of ISEH. ISEH disclaims any or all liability arising from any author's statements or materials.

This week on Simply Blood we are continuing our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. In part IV, we are featuring the ISEH 2025 Donald Metcalf Award Winner:  Constanze Bonifer, PhD.  Professor Bonifer dives into her current work, reflects on her most notable discoveries, and highlights scientists that have inspired her throughout her career. Interested in hearing more about Professor Bonifer's fascinating work?   Don’t miss her session at the ISEH 54th Annual Scientific Meeting this September ! Constanze Bonifer, PhD Principal Research Fellow, Murdoch Children's Research Institute Emeritus Professor of Experimental Hematology, University of Birmingham (UK) Read more about Professor Bonifer's work in the  2025 Award Announcement blog. Blog post contributed by Anne Stolz of the ISEH New Investigators Committee. Please note that the statements made by Simply Blood authors are their own views and not necessarily the views of ISEH. ISEH disclaims any or all liability arising ...

This week on Simply Blood we are continuing our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. In part III, we are featuring the ISEH 2025 McCulloch and Till Award Winner:  Ulrich Steidl, MD, PhD.  Dr. Steidl dives into his current work, career inspirations, and advice for the young generation of science. Interested in hearing more about Dr. Steidl's fascinating work?   Don’t miss his session at the ISEH 54th Annual Scientific Meeting this September ! Ulrich Steidl, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Cell Biology Professor, Department of Oncology Professor, Department of Medicine Chair, Department of Cell Biology Edward P. Evans Endowed Professor for Myelodysplastic Syndromes Co-Director, Blood Cancer Institute Deputy Director, and Associate Director for Basic Science, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Read more about Dr. Steidl's work in the  2025 Award Announcement blog. Blog post contributed by Vu Tran of the ISEH New Investigators Committee. Please note that the st...

This week on Simply Blood we are continuing our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. In part II, we are featuring the ISEH 2025 Janet Rowley Award Winner: Adam Wilkinson, PhD.  Dr. Wilkinson dives into his current work, how his research has evolved over time, and qualities he looks for in trainees and team members. Interested in hearing more about Dr. Wilkinson's fascinating work?   Don’t miss his session at the ISEH 54th Annual Scientific Meeting this September ! Adam Wilkinson Group Leader, University of Cambridge Department of Hematology Cambridge Stem Cell Institute‬ Read more about Dr. Wilkinson's work in the 2025 Award Announcement blog. Blog post contributed by Jasmin Rettkowski, PhD of the ISEH New Investigators Committee. Please note that the statements made by Simply Blood authors are their own views and not necessarily the views of ISEH. ISEH disclaims any or all liability arising from any author's statements or materials.

This week on Simply Blood we are kicking off our 2025 Interview Spotlight Series. In Part I we are featuring the ISEH 2025 New Investigator Invited Speaker: Shalin Naik, PhD. Prof. Naik dives into his current work, career inspirations, life outside of the lab, and looks towards the future of hematologic research. Interested in hearing more about Prof. Naik's fascinating work? Don’t miss his session at the ISEH 54th Annual Scientific Meeting this September ! Prof. Shalin Naik The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Laboratory Head Blog post contributed by Kohei Shiroshita, MD, PhD of the ISEH New Investigators Committee. Please note that the statements made by Simply Blood authors are their own views and not necessarily the views of ISEH. ISEH disclaims any or all liability arising from any author's statements or materials.

  Welcome to this month’s Preprint Watch, where we highlight some of the latest and most interesting preprints for the ISEH community. This time, we’re diving into studies using less explored animal models, new angles on normal and pathological lymphopoiesis, and several exciting technologies pushing the boundaries of advanced cell culture. We’re also thrilled to chat with Christiana Georgiou from the Lo Celso Lab in London, UK, who will share more details about her recent work on HSC heterogeneity in the context of malaria infection! As usual, we are more than happy to highlight your new preprint, you just have to submit it at https://www.iseh.org/Preprintwatch !  From the Simply Blood Community: Heterochromatin fidelity is a therapeutic vulnerability in lymphoma and other human cancers https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.31.635709v1 From the authors: We identified the KDM4 family of H3K9 demethylases as subtype-agnostic therapeutic targets for diffuse large B-cel...

Read highlights of the following articles from Experimental Hematology, volumes 143 and 145. A distinct alternative mRNA splicing profile identifies the oncogenic CD44 transcript variant 3 in KMT2A-rearranged pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Ramilo Amor, Amanda et al. Experimental Hematology, Volume 145, 104712 The recent FDA approval of menin inhibitors targeting key genetic drivers of myeloid leukemia, such as KMT2A (lysine methyl transferase 2A) rearrangements and NPM1 mutations, has drawn attention to a recent article in press in Experimental Hematology.  KMT2A rearrangement (KMT2A-r) is associated with a poorer prognosis in myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. The study is focused on the KMT2A rearrangement in T-ALL and how it is distinct from KMT2A-negative (KMT2A-wt) T-ALL.   The authors performed transcriptome profiling on 171 primary T-ALL samples (n=161 wt vs n=10 KMT2A rearranged samples). They found that 15% of the genes were significantly differ...

Tremblay Lab Each month, Simply Blood spotlights a lab contributing to the fields of hematology, immunology, stem cell research, cell and gene therapies, and more. Get to know groups doing cutting edge research from around the world! This month, we are featuring the Tremblay Lab out of the University of Manitoba, Canada. How long have you had your lab?  2.5 years already (time flies when having fun!) How many members make up your lab? 6 students – 1 undergrad, 3 MSc, 2 PhD What is the major research theme of your lab?  My laboratory focuses on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), which accounts for almost 25% of all cases of leukemia in that age group. Although 85% of children can be cured, chemotherapy induces life-long complications, which remain of major clinical concern and are extremely debilitating for patients. Furthermore, therapeutic options for relapsed disease remain limited and rarely curative, with a 5-year survival of less than 10%. Therefore, there is a...

Who am I at this moment? Figuring out my research identity “The search for identity is the ongoing struggle to arrest or slow down the flow, to solidify the fluid, to give form to the formless.” – Zygmunt Bauman (2000) Our research identity is about how we see ourselves, and how others see us. As we go through university and beyond, we slowly figure out what we’re really interested in, what we value, and what’s worth putting our time into. This usually happens where our passion and skills meet, and often with the help of a good mentor. But it’s not always clear: What should we focus on? Which questions are really worth answering? To help explore this, I looked at the journeys of two scientists, Prof. Leonard Zon and Assistant Prof. Li Li —to see how they found their way. ________________________________________ Undergrads: Trying things out Things really start in Undergrads. It’s a time to explore. We take all sorts of classes and try different experiences, and over time, we start to ...