Hematopoietic Stem Cells Keystone of Tissue Development and Regenerative Medicine

Dr. Meng Zhao, a distinguished stem cell biologist and hematologist, is currently serving as a professor at the Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University. His research primarily focuses on unraveling the intricate mechanisms governing blood stem cells and developing therapeutic strategies for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and leukemia treatment. In his laboratory, Dr. Zhao utilizes genetic models and clinical specimens to investigate both the intrinsic cellular control and microenvironmental influence on normal and leukemic stem cells. Noteworthy contributions from Dr. Zhao include identifying megakaryocytes as a hematopoietic stem cell niche, characterizing leukemic stem cells in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and discovering amino acid catabolism within hematopoietic stem cells. The primary objective of Dr. Zhao's laboratory is to gain comprehensive insights into the complex metabolic intricacies that govern both normal and leukemic stem cells within the dynamic bone marrow microenvironment.

Prof. Pengxu Qian obtained his bachelor degree in 2006, and his Ph.D. degree in 2012 from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). During his postdoctoral training in Prof. Linheng Li’s lab at Stowers Institute for Medical Research from 2012 to 2017, Dr. Qian was funded by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Scholar Award to study the roles of DNA methylation and imprinting genes in hematopoietic stem cells. In Nov 2017, Dr. Qian started his lab as principal investigator in Zhejiang University School of Medicine, to study the roles and mechanisms of epigenetic regulators in normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. The major contributions from Dr. Qian include illustrating the roles and mechanisms of the Dlk1-Gtl2 imprinting locus, the differentially methylated region (DMR) DERARE in the Hoxb cluster, and the m6A reader YTHDF2 in normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. The primary objectives of Dr. Qian's laboratory are to decipher the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying HSC homeostasis and leukemogenesis and to develop novel therapeutic approaches against hematopoietic malignancies.