MRC Molecular Haematology Unit

We aim to understand how mature blood cells are normally made from stem cells and how this is perturbed in common blood disorders. Ultimately, our purpose is to improve the prognosis of patients with inherited and acquired blood diseases.

Golden star on black background - award photo.

Marieke Oudelaar awarded prestigious Lise Meitner Excellence Program grant

3d rendered medically accurate illustration of the human blood cells and lymphocytes

Developing a rapid and cost-effective way to identify newborns at risk of leukaemia

MRC WIMM researchers have developed a new method to quickly identify cancerous cells in babies at risk of leukaemia.

Acute erythroid leukemia commonly involves both myeloid and erythroid lineage transformation. Di Genua et al. show that combined Cebpa and Gata2 mutations induce bi-lineage AEL. The Gata2 mutation (bottom soil layer) increases chromatin accessibility of erythroid transcription factor motifs (red roots) and decreases chromatin accessibility of myeloid transcription factor motifs (blue roots) while bi-allelic Cebpa mutation (top soil layer) increases erythroid transcription factor expression. This transforms neutrophil-monocyte progenitors into bi-potent leukemia-initiating cells that produce both myeloid and erythroid blasts (red and blue flowers, respectively). Artwork by Rae Cook.

Nerlov and Vyas labs develop first pre-clinical model of rare leukaemia

The collaboration has led to the first pre-clinical model of acute erythroid leukaemia.

Coronavirus research in the MRC MHU

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Molecular Haematology Unit are working hard to understand coronavirus infection and help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Here you can find out more about our research.

Latest News

Marieke Oudelaar awarded prestigious Lise Meitner Excellence Program grant

6 October 2020

Blood red petri-dish in the hand of a researcher with bacterial colonies grown on the plate.

Understanding clonal haematopoiesis for COVID and cancer

30 September 2020

More news

MRC MHU Seminars

Floor meeting - 2 groups will give an update on the research work in their laboratory

Tuesday, 27 October 2020, 1pm to 2pm
Too much and not enough: Balancing the scales of haematopoiesis

Tuesday, 17 November 2020, 1pm to 2pm
Paediatric myeloid leukemia: fusion oncogenes, transcriptional alterations and age specificities

Tuesday, 24 November 2020, 1pm to 2pm
Floor meeting - 2 groups will give an update on the research work in their laboratory

Tuesday, 01 December 2020, 1pm to 2pm

All seminars

MRC Molecular Haematology Unit

in this section

Marieke Oudelaar awarded prestigious Lise Meitner Excellence Program grant

Developing a rapid and cost-effective way to identify newborns at risk of leukaemia

Nerlov and Vyas labs develop first pre-clinical model of rare leukaemia

Coronavirus research in the MRC MHU

Latest Publications

Discovery of a CD10-negative B-progenitor in human fetal life identifies unique ontogeny-related developmental programs.

ATR-16 syndrome: mechanisms linking monosomy to phenotype.

A revised model for promoter competition based on multi-way chromatin interactions at the α-globin locus.

Single-cell analysis of bone marrow-derived CD34+ cells from children with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

Stabilization of chromatin topology safeguards genome integrity.

Latest News

Marieke Oudelaar awarded prestigious Lise Meitner Excellence Program grant

Understanding clonal haematopoiesis for COVID and cancer

MRC MHU Seminars

Floor meeting - 2 groups will give an update on the research work in their laboratory

Too much and not enough: Balancing the scales of haematopoiesis

Paediatric myeloid leukemia: fusion oncogenes, transcriptional alterations and age specificities

Floor meeting - 2 groups will give an update on the research work in their laboratory