Welcome to the Bednarski lab
The Bednarski lab studies mechanisms that regulate early hematopoeisis and B cell lymphopoeisis. In particular, we are interested in understanding how signals induced by DNA damage activate cellular programs that promote normal differentiation and suppress leukemogesis. During early development, B cells intentionally generate and repair DNA breaks to assemble antigen receptor genes for expression of a diverse antibody repertoire. These DNA breaks activate a broad cellular program, including B cell specific developmental signals.
Our research investigates the transcriptional programs regulated by DNA damage responses in B cells and the molecular mechanisms that coordinate this unique cellular signaling pathway. We also have projects studying transcriptional regulation of early stem cell development and function. Our goal is to understand the programs that drive normal hematopoietic development and how these pathways are corrupted in leukemia and primary immune deficiencies.
Jeffrey Bednarski, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator
Jeffrey Bednarski grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania and completed undergraduate degree in chemistry at Duke University. He then received his MD and PhD from University of Michigan. He completed residency and fellowship training in pediatric hematology and oncology at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. He joined the pediatrics faculty at Washington University in 2011. In addition to the research lab, he works with the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital to treat children with cancer and immune deficiencies.
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