Grant: CIHR Clinician Scientist - Phase 1

Cancer in humans is often the result of the accumulation of genetic damage over years. Many people seek medical attention with conditions called "pre-cancerous", in the sense that they are known to transform into an aggressive cancer over time. For many of these patients, there is currently no better course of action than observation. The goal of this project is to monitor the evolution of "pre-leukemic" cells in mice over time, as they eventually transform into a disease that makes the mouse sick. I am interested in learning how these cells gradually learn to "escape" the control of their environment in order to become aggressive. This model could be applied to other types of cancer. I hope to have a positive impact on human disease. By better understanding the transformation of pre-cancerous lesions into aggressive cancer, it might be possible to develop new treatments or monitoring tools for patient affected with these conditions.