![Britta Will](https://assets.montefioreeinstein.org/profiles/images/Will_Britta_2x.jpg)
Britta Will, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor, Department of Oncology (Medical Oncology)
- Associate Professor, Department of Medicine (Oncology & Hematology)
- Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology
- Co-Leader, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stem Cell & Cancer Biology Program
- Director, Preclinical Modeling, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Blood Cancer Institute
- The Diane and Arthur B. Belfer Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research
Area of research
- Adult stem cells, blood-forming stem cells, cancer stem cells, aging, metabolism-dependent gene regulation.
Phone
Location
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus 1300 Morris Park Avenue Chanin Building 401 Bronx, NY 10461
Research Profiles
Professional Interests
Mechanisms of stem cell aging and transformation
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) maintain blood formation throughout our lifetime. Balancing stem cell regeneration and differentiation commitment to produce mature blood cells is quintessential for a healthy hematopoietic system. Dysregulation of such HSC fate determination processes can lead to loss of immune function, bone marrow failure, and malignant transformation during aging. Up to date, very little is known about the molecular events driving age-related HSC changes and how they contribute to disease. Understanding age-associated molecular alterations will not only uncover fundamental mechanisms guiding function of HSC, but may also allow for therapeutic intervention to "rejuvenate" aged hematopoietic systems and possibly even prevent age-associated hematopoietic diseases.
Our mission is to clarify the central mechanisms establishing and guarding sustained hematopoietic stem cell function, particular those that drive leukemogenesis, if disrupted.
We develop innovative genetic mouse models, use ex vivo and in vivo primary mouse and human stem cell assay systems, exploit lentiviral gene transfer, and apply state-of-the-art molecular biology and next generation sequencing techniques.
Research pipeline I | Molecular determinants of adult stem cells.
Research pipeline II | Therapeutically actionable safeguards in cancer stem cells.
Research pipeline III | New stem cell-directed therapies.
Selected Publications
Gao X*, Carpenter RS, Boulais PE, Zhang D, Marlein CR, Li H, Smith M, Chung DJ, Maryanovich M, Will B*, Steidl U* and Frenette PS. [* co-corresponding authors]
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Kao YR, Chen J, Kumari R, Ng A, Zintiridou A, Tatiparthy M, Ma Y, Aivalioti MM, Moulik D, Sundaravel S, Sun D, Reisz JA, Grimm J, Martinez-Lopez N, Stransky S, Sidoli S, Steidl U, Singh R, D'Alessandro A, Will B.
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Regulation of the mobilizable hematopoietic stem cell pool by c-Kit-mediated trogocytosis.
Science 2024
In press.
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An iron rheostat controls hematopoietic stem cell fate.
Cell Stem Cell 2024
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Okoye-Okafor UC, Javarappa KK, Tsallos D, Saad J, Yang D, Zhang C, Benard L, Thiruthuvanathan VJ, Cole S, Ruiz S, Tatiparthy M, Choudhary G, DeFronzo S, Bartholdy BA, Pallaud C, Ramos PM, Shastri A, Verma A, Heckman CA, Will B.
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Aivalioti MM, Bartholdy BA, Pradhan K, Bhagat TD, Zintiridou A, Jeong JJ, Thiruthuvanathan VJ, Pujato M, Paranjpe A, Zhang C, Levine RL, Viny AD, Wickrema A, Verma A, Will B.
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Megakaryopoiesis impairment through acute innate immune signaling activation by azacitidine.
Journal of Experimental Medicine 2022
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PU.1-Dependent Enhancer Inhibition Separates Tet2-Deficient Hematopoiesis from Malignant Transformation.
Blood Cancer Discovery 2022
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Dong S, Wang Q, Kao YR, Diaz A, Tasset I, Kaushik S, Thiruthuvanathan V, Zintiridou A, Nieves E, Dzieciatkowska M, Reisz JA, Gavathiotis E, D'Alessandro A, Will B* and Cuervo AM*. [* co-corresponding authors]
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Kao YR, Chen J, Narayanagari SR, Todorova TI, Aivalioti M, Ferreira M, Ramos-Marques P, Pallaud C, Mantzaris I, Shastri A, Bussel JB, Verma A, Steidl U, Will B.
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Chaperone-mediated autophagy sustains haematopoietic stem-cell function.
Nature 2021
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Thrombopoietin receptor-independent stimulation of hematopoietic stem cells by eltrombopag.
Science Translational Medicine 2018
PubMed PMID: 30209246
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Will B*, Vogler TO, Narayanagari S, Bartholdy B, Todorova TI, da Silva Ferreira M, Chen J, Yu Y, Mayer J, Barreyro L, Carvajal L, Neriah DB, Roth M, van Oers J, Schaetzlein S, McMahon C, Edelmann W, Verma A, Steidl U*. [* co-corresponding authors]
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Minimal PU.1 reduction induces a preleukemic state and promotes development of acute myeloid leukemia.
Nature Medicine 2015
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