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Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

 

Dr Jyoti Nangalia

Somatic mutagenesis and clonal evolution in blood

Email: jn218@cam.ac.uk

Laboratory: Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre

Departmental Affiliation: Haematology; 

 

Biography 

Jyoti Nangalia studied Medicine at Cambridge University and subsequently trained as a Haematologist. She undertook a PhD at the Cambridge Institute of Medical Research where she developed a passion for genomics. During her PhD, she discovered CALR mutations in the vast majority of patients with JAK2 unmutated myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Testing for CALR mutations in clinical practice is now routine. Utilising cancer genetics to support clinical decision-making is a critical application of genetic sequencing technologies, and following her PhD, she worked on the development of an accurate online personalised predictor of prognosis for patients with blood cancer by integrating clinical and genomic parameters. Her research group focuses on using sequencing technologies to understand exactly when blood cancers originate in patients during their lifetime, their clonal trajectories and the landscape of selection on driver mutations in blood. Her team studies somatic mutagenesis and epigenetic readouts to understand the changes in blood over lifespan, from development to ageing, pre malignancy to cancer. She is currently a Principal Investigator at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and a Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute with a group shared between both institutes. She is a Consultant Haematologist and treats patients with MPN. She is a member of the MPN clinical study subgroup of the National Cancer Research Institute and has contributed to the writing of national guidelines for MPN in the UK and analysis of MPN clinical trials.  

 

Funding

CRUK, Rosetrees, Alborada, MPNRF

 

 

A family tree of blood production in a patient who developed an MPN at age 65, showing the acquisition of the disease causing JAK2 mutation over 50 years before disease presentation, changing the current paradigm for the evolution of this blood cancer. We use single cell derived clonal whole genome sequencing to trace the timing of blood cancer, and track its evolution over the life of individuals (image generated by Nick Williams).

 

Research

The Nangalia group is currently investigating:

  • Clonal trajectories to blood cancers. they are exploring when different types of blood cancers commence their growth during the lifetime of patients. Studying the somatic mutation phylogenies, selection landscape and clonal evolutionary dynamics across haematological diseases and cancers will better inform effective early intervention strategies.
  • Methylation dynamics in normal tissues: the lab is studying how the methylome changes over the human lifespan in healthy and diseased tissues using a phylogenetic approach.
  • Personalised cancer modelling: the group continues to enhance our blood cancer prognostic tools and build further predictive models for other cancers.

 

Interview following our late breaking abstract at the American Society of Haematology 2020:

Introduction to myeloproliferative neoplasms for the general audience:

Introduction to the MPN personalised predictive model: http://quadia.webtvframework.com/quadia/_app/player_viewing/?id=3351986

Personalised predictive model for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/science/tools/progmod/progmod/

 

Plain English

In our lab we study human blood samples across lifespan from development to ageing and precancer to cancer. We also have a particular interest in myeloproliferative neoplasms, a chronic form of blood cancer.

 

Key Publications

 

The Nangalia Group

Nangalia Group members:

Jing Guo
Aleksandra Kamizela
Chiraag Kapadia
Sreeya Kodavali
Dan Leongamornlert
Daniel Myers
Kudzai Nyamondo
Toni Spence

Xin Wang
Nick Williams