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About the Webinar:

Acute leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and is driven by diverse genomic alterations that frequently target transcriptional regulator genes. Although standard DNA sequencing approaches can readily identify protein-coding mutations, genomic alterations that occur in the noncoding genome are more challenging to interpret yet are proving to be quite prevalent in leukemia. The Mullighan Lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is using 3D genome mapping technologies to identify the functional consequences of noncoding structural alterations in pediatric leukemia. These findings inform on the cell of origin and the potential oncogenic role of the genes targeted by these genomic events.

Key Takeaways:

  • Noncoding structural variations result in enhancer hijacking to drive aberrant transcription factor expression in lineage ambiguous leukemia and B-ALL
  • Identification and interrogation of enhancers involved in enhancer hijacking or re-wiring events informs on the cell of origin
  • An onco-capture approach improves resolution of promoter interactions and fusion gene detection

Meet the Speakers:

Anthony Schmitt, PhD

SVP of Science, Arima Genomics

Anthony is the Senior Vice President of Science at Arima Genomics. Under his leadership, Arima Genomics has launched multiple products enabling life science researchers to explore the 3D genome using a range of applications – from genome assembly to translational cancer research and beyond. Prior to Arima, Anthony received his PhD from the University of California, San Diego, where he developed novel methodologies to understand mechanisms of gene regulation using 3D genomics approaches. Anthony is an accomplished scientist who has published his work in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Lindsey Montefiori, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Lindsey received her undergraduate degree from N.C. State University in genetics, spent two years as a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, MD, and received her PhD from the University of Chicago, where she studied noncoding genetic variation in cardiovascular disease. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Mullighan lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she explores a high-risk form of leukemia called lineage-ambiguous leukemia. Her research focuses on understanding how mis-regulated transcription factors can perturb lineage commitment and lead to transformation.