Yuqi Shen
Postdoctoral Researcher
I joined the Psaila/Mead groups in October 2022 after finishing my PhD with Prof. Richard Gibbons and Prof. Douglas Higgs at the WIMM, Oxford. During my PhD, I worked on elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of the chromatin remodeller ATRX in gene expression, using alpha-globin—one of ATRX’s target genes—as an exemplar.
Currently, my research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying blood cancer development, with particular focus on how mutations in haematopoietic stem cells alter cellular function and drive disease progression. I am developing iPSC-based model systems carrying patient-specific mutations to track disease progression and identify early molecular events that could inform preventative therapeutic strategies. In addition, we have developed an advanced 3D bone marrow organoid model that recapitulates the physiological bone marrow microenvironment, enabling more accurate disease modelling and therapeutic validation.