Palis Lab

Palis Lab

The laboratory of Jim Palis and long-time colleagues Kathleen McGrath, Paul Kingsley, and Anne Koniski consists of an interactive group of senior scientists, graduate students, technicians, and undergraduate students who participate in weekly lab meetings and lab journal clubs. We are located on the first floor of the MRB-X building.

Our research efforts are focused on better understanding the cellular and molecular events underlying the ontogeny of the hematopoietic system in the mammalian embryo. Our studies have focused on the emergence and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors using the mouse embryo and human induced pluripotent stem cells as primary model systems. We are also investigating the self-renewal of erythroid precursors to generate blood ex vivo.

Gaining insights into the ontogeny of mammalian hematopoiesis and its response to xenotoxic damage will ultimately lead to a better understanding of genetic disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes and leukemias, with a therapeutic goal of improving the curative treatments of numerous congenital anemias, genetic diseases, and several forms of childhood and adult cancers.