Asger Jakobsen

I studied medical sciences at the University of Cambridge, and qualified in clinical medicine from Oxford Medical School in 2014. I am currently working as a Postdoctoral Clinical Research Fellow in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit supervised by Prof Paresh Vyas.

My research focuses on how mutations affecting epigenetic regulators lead to clonal expansion in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Proteins that control DNA methylation, such as DNMT3A and TET2, are important in stem cell differentiation and regulating how genes are expressed. Mutations in these genes are commonly found in blood cells of healthy older people, lead to clonal expansion, and are associated with increased risk of developing blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), and other adverse outcomes.

In collaboration with surgical teams at NDORMS and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, I established the MARCH Study to collect bone marrow and blood samples from individuals undergoing hip replacement surgery. This has made it possible to study clonal haematopoiesis in healthy older individuals, where samples are otherwise difficult to obtain.

We have developed single-cell methods for analysing genotype along with gene expression and epigenetic readouts, and are using these to study the consequences of mutations on blood stem and progenitor cells. Through this work, we hope to gain a better understanding of how age-related clones are selected and identify a basis for rational therapeutic targeting to reduce the risk of leukaemia and other diseases.