About me

I have a long-standing interest in stem cells, which led me to complete a Master’s in Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After that, I worked as a research technician at MRC-NATA and later in the Beech Lab at the University of Leeds. My research has covered a range of topics, including cancer and stem cell biology with a focus in cardiovascular diseases and blood disorders. Now, for my PhD, I’m studying how key transcription factors interact with chromatin in JAK2V617F myeloproliferative neoplasms, hoping to better understand the molecular drivers of these diseases.

My Project

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders, with the JAK2V617F mutation being the most common genetic driver. While the role of GSK3β in cell signaling, development, and cancer has been explored, its function in JAK2V617F MPNs remains unknown. Similarly, although HIF-1α signaling is well established in these disorders, its precise mechanism is poorly understood. Given the central role of GSK3β in hematopoiesis and HIF-1α in MPN pathophysiology, my project aims to investigate the potential cross-talk between these two key regulators. By using a multimodal approach in human, mouse, and Drosophila models, I aim to characterize GSK3β’s function in JAK2V617F MPNs, define its interaction with HIF-1α, and map chromatin interactomes at the GSK3β gene binding locus in normal and malignant hematopoietic stem cells.

Connect

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sinhaaparna

Twitter: https://x.com/Aparna1904