Research focuses on the detection of cytogenetic abnormalities in human hematological malignancies.
The acquired chromosome rearrangements in hemopoietic cell disorders are generally accepted as useful markers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment management. They also represent unique natural targets for molecular studies of genes involved in tumor formation and progression, which are located at the rearrangement breakpoints. She and her coleagues perform about 500 complete cytogenetic analyses each year on bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and preleukemia. Although these analyses are primarily for clinical purposes, opportunities exist for extensive research using classical cytogenetic techniques, as well as in situ DNA hybridization and other molecular biological methods. Possibilities include correlation of clinical condition with chromosome rearrangements and specific oncogene or gene involvement.