Eric Nickels
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
I am an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology with a clinical focus on pediatric leukemia/lymphoma and a primary research interest in cancer predisposition and molecular epidemiology of acute leukemia. I first started working on leukemia genetic predisposition syndromes as a medical student at the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Lucy Godley M.D. Ph.D., with a focus on familial myeloid malignancies. I investigated the germline genetic mutations that predispose to myeloid malignancies and worked to identify at risk individuals based on clinical features and family history. As part of the Godley laboratory, I helped broaden recognition of the importance of identifying patients at risk of familial cancer syndromes, given the vast implications on clinical outcomes and crucial importance for relatives.
As a physician-scientist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), I developed an interest in cancer predisposition working under the mentorship of Joseph Wiemels, Ph.D., and expanded the scope of my work to include both genetic and epigenetic factors as predisposing, early contributors to the development of cancer. This includes a focus on leukemia-discordant monozygotic twins as a model to identify early acquired genetic and epigenetic contributors to the development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Through the investigation of twins, we provided evidence that global DNA hypomethylation is associated with the future development of pediatric ALL.
I envision this work impact the field of Pediatric Oncology in two ways. First, an improved understanding of the underlying genetic and epigenetic causes of childhood cancer will provide key insights into cancer biology and allow for the implementation of improved therapeutic strategies. Second, this work aims to improve the detection and surveillance of individuals at greatest risk for future development of malignancies, potentially allowing for the implementation of targeted risk reduction strategies to reduce the incidence of childhood cancer.
As a physician-scientist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), I developed an interest in cancer predisposition working under the mentorship of Joseph Wiemels, Ph.D., and expanded the scope of my work to include both genetic and epigenetic factors as predisposing, early contributors to the development of cancer. This includes a focus on leukemia-discordant monozygotic twins as a model to identify early acquired genetic and epigenetic contributors to the development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Through the investigation of twins, we provided evidence that global DNA hypomethylation is associated with the future development of pediatric ALL.
I envision this work impact the field of Pediatric Oncology in two ways. First, an improved understanding of the underlying genetic and epigenetic causes of childhood cancer will provide key insights into cancer biology and allow for the implementation of improved therapeutic strategies. Second, this work aims to improve the detection and surveillance of individuals at greatest risk for future development of malignancies, potentially allowing for the implementation of targeted risk reduction strategies to reduce the incidence of childhood cancer.
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