While iterative clinical trials have improved outcomes for most children with cancer, it is recognized that the maximum benefit of multi-agent chemotherapy has likely been realised. New treatment strategies will be needed to further reduce the impact of these devastating diseases. Development of novel therapies will require both identification of effective intervention strategies and improved screening platforms to better predict the impact of new agents in the clinic. Our lab seeks to contribute to the development and application of new therapies by addressing both these critical needs. We are investigating the interaction between the immune system and pediatric cancers in a variety of settings to identify immune-based strategies that could enhance the elimination of cancer cells. Further, we are working to better characterize models of pediatric cancer to establish screening platforms that more accurately predict the response of a patient’s cancer to personalized treatments. Our research studies fall into one of 3 broad categories:

(i) The immunology of pediatric leukemia. Development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, is widely believed to be influenced by early-life immune activity. Ongoing studies in our lab use mouse models of B cell ALL to investigate direct and indirect effects of infection related signaling on the transition from preleukemia to overt leukemia.

(ii) Immunotherapy for childhood cancers: Immune-base therapies, such as CAR-T and T cell engagers, have demonstrated great potential as treatments for a variety of cancer types. The optimization of these approaches for children with cancer will involve preclinical assessment of the barriers to efficacy presented by the cancers that specifically arise in young people. We are currently investigating ways to enhance these therapies against ALL and neuroblastoma.

(iii) Precision oncology: Through collaborations with precision oncology projects – the BRAvE (Better Responses through Avatars and Evidence) initiative at BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) and ACCESS (Advancing Childhood Cancer Experience, Science & Survivorship), a national precision oncology research study – our lab contributes advanced modeling, critical sample expansion, and disease biology insights to multi-disciplinary research teams seeking to enhance the application of targeted therapy for children with cancer.