The Leukemia Research Lab
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains one of the most aggressive hematologic malignancies, largely due to the persistence of leukemic stem cells that survive therapy and drive disease relapse.
Our laboratory investigates how leukemic stem and progenitor cells interact with their surrounding microenvironment and how these interactions shape disease progression, treatment response, and relapse.
Our research combines stem cell biology, cancer immunology, advanced imaging, spatial biology, organoid technology, and single-cell genomics to study human AML in clinically relevant settings.
The lab team at work. Photo: Rambam HCC
A major focus of our work is the development and application of patient-derived "AML-in-a-dish" models, including a fully humanized 3D scaffold-based bone marrow organoid platform that recapitulates key cellular and molecular features of the leukemic niche.
These models enable direct investigation of leukemic stem cell behavior, immune regulation, therapeutic resistance, and mechanisms of relapse.
By integrating cellular architecture, molecular profiling, and functional perturbation studies, we aim to identify the critical interactions that sustain leukemia and uncover new therapeutic opportunities to eliminate relapse-initiating cells.
Our work can be divided into four major themes that are connected:
Research Focus 1: Leukemic Stem Cell Biology
Understanding the cellular states, functional heterogeneity, and therapeutic vulnerabilities of leukemic stem and progenitor cells.
Research Focus 2: Bone Marrow Niche Architecture
Decoding how stromal, immune, and hematopoietic cells interact to create microenvironments that support leukemia progression and resistance.
Research Focus 3: Human AML Organoids and Translational Models
Developing patient-derived and fully humanized organoid systems for disease modeling, drug testing, and precision medicine.
Research Focus 4: Spatial and Single-Cell Technologies
Combining high-content imaging, spatial profiling, and single-cell multiomics to link cellular organization with biological function and clinical outcome.