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Contact information

Email
marella.debruijn@imm.ox.ac.uk

Telephone
+44 (0)1865 222397

Research groups

de Bruijn Group: Developmental Haematopoiesis

Colleges

Green Templeton College

Websites

MRC Molecular Haematology Unit
Research Unit
MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine
Research Institute

Marella de Bruijn

Professor of Developmental Haematopoiesis

Director of Graduate Studies

I obtained my BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Leiden University and my PhD from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where I trained in Immunology. I was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics at Erasmus University, and a Fellow of the Dutch Cancer Society at Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH. In 2003 I moved to Oxford to join the faculty of the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine.

My main research interest is the birth of blood stem and progenitor cells during embryonic development. Work in my group focuses on the cellular lineages and gene regulatory networks that underlie the de novo generation of blood stem cells, with the ultimate aim to contribute this knowledge to the development of novel and improved stem cell therapies for regenerative medicine.

As Principal Investigator at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, I have trained DPhil students and postdocs, and undergraduates that visit the lab for short projects. Along my research I have been actively involved in coordinating the recruitment, training and supervision of DPhil students, as Director of Graduate Studies at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine and WIMM.

Key publications

A KMT2A-AFF1 gene regulatory network highlights the role of core transcription factors and reveals the regulatory logic of key downstream target genes.

Harman JR. et al, (2021), Genome Res, 31, 1159 - 1173

The genome-wide impact of trisomy 21 on DNA methylation and its implications for hematopoiesis.

Muskens IS. et al, (2021), Nat Commun, 12

The T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin governs haemogenic competence of yolk sac mesodermal progenitors.

Harland LTG. et al, (2021), Nat Cell Biol, 23, 61 - 74

Microhomologies are prevalent at Cas9-induced larger deletions.

Owens DDG. et al, (2019), Nucleic Acids Res, 47, 7402 - 7417

Blood stem cell-forming haemogenic endothelium in zebrafish derives from arterial endothelium.

Bonkhofer F. et al, (2019), Nat Commun, 10

Kit ligand has a critical role in mouse yolk sac and aorta-gonad-mesonephros hematopoiesis.

Azzoni E. et al, (2018), EMBO Rep, 19

Initial seeding of the embryonic thymus by immune-restricted lympho-myeloid progenitors.

Luis TC. et al, (2016), Nat Immunol, 17, 1424 - 1435

An experimentally validated network of nine haematopoietic transcription factors reveals mechanisms of cell state stability

Schutte J. et al, (2016), ELIFE, 5

Recent publications

Correction: Tracking early mammalian organogenesis - prediction and validation of differentiation trajectories at whole organism scale.

Imaz-Rosshandler I. et al, (2026), Development (Cambridge, England), 153

The emerging sequence grammar of 3D genome organisation.

Tamon L. et al, (2025), Hum Genet, 144, 917 - 928

Resolving hematopoietic stem versus progenitor cell potential in the mouse dorsal aorta by differential Runx1 +110 enhancer activity

Anselmi G. et al, (2025)

A developmental route to hematopoietic stem cells.

Wilkinson AC. and de Bruijn MFTR., (2025), Nat Biotechnol, 43, 1242 - 1243

Spatiotemporal dynamics of fetal liver hematopoietic niches.

Mesquita Peixoto M. et al, (2025), J Exp Med, 222

Tracking early mammalian organogenesis - prediction and validation of differentiation trajectories at whole organism scale.

Imaz-Rosshandler I. et al, (2024), Development, 151

Development of the hematopoietic system

De Bruijn M. and Palis J., (2024), 145 - 157

Yolk sac cell atlas reveals multiorgan functions during human early development.

Goh I. et al, (2023), Science, 381

GATA2 mitotic bookmarking is required for definitive haematopoiesis.

Silvério-Alves R. et al, (2023), Nat Commun, 14

Dynamic Runx1 chromatin boundaries affect gene expression in hematopoietic development.

Owens DDG. et al, (2022), Nat Commun, 13

The onset of circulation triggers a metabolic switch required for endothelial to hematopoietic transition.

Azzoni E. et al, (2021), Cell Rep, 37

Ezh2 is essential for the generation of functional yolk sac derived erythro-myeloid progenitors.

Neo WH. et al, (2021), Nat Commun, 12

A KMT2A-AFF1 gene regulatory network highlights the role of core transcription factors and reveals the regulatory logic of key downstream target genes.

Harman JR. et al, (2021), Genome Res, 31, 1159 - 1173

The genome-wide impact of trisomy 21 on DNA methylation and its implications for hematopoiesis.

Muskens IS. et al, (2021), Nat Commun, 12

The T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin governs haemogenic competence of yolk sac mesodermal progenitors.

Harland LTG. et al, (2021), Nat Cell Biol, 23, 61 - 74

DynamicRunx1chromatin boundaries affect gene expression in hematopoietic development

Owens DDG. et al, (2021)

Gata3 targets Runx1 in the embryonic haematopoietic stem cell niche.

Fitch SR. et al, (2020), IUBMB Life, 72, 45 - 52

Phenotypic analysis of an MLL-AF4 gene regulatory network reveals indirect CASP9 repression as a mode of inducing apoptosis resistance

Harman J. et al, (2020)

EOMESODERMIN GOVERNS THE HEMOGENIC COMPETENCE OF MURINE YOLK-SAC MESODERMAL PROGENITORS

Harland L. et al, (2020), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 88, S34 - S34

Microhomologies are prevalent at Cas9-induced larger deletions.

Owens DDG. et al, (2019), Nucleic Acids Res, 47, 7402 - 7417

Blood stem cell-forming haemogenic endothelium in zebrafish derives from arterial endothelium.

Bonkhofer F. et al, (2019), Nat Commun, 10

Kit ligand has a critical role in mouse yolk sac and aorta-gonad-mesonephros hematopoiesis.

Azzoni E. et al, (2018), EMBO Rep, 19

Cell-extrinsic hematopoietic impact of Ezh2 inactivation in fetal liver endothelial cells.

Neo WH. et al, (2018), Blood, 131, 2223 - 2234

Transcriptional regulation of Hhex in hematopoiesis and hematopoietic stem cell ontogeny.

Migueles RP. et al, (2017), Dev Biol, 424, 236 - 245

Runx transcription factors in the development and function of the definitive hematopoietic system.

de Bruijn M. and Dzierzak E., (2017), Blood, 129, 2061 - 2069

The Role of Runx1 in Embryonic Blood Cell Formation.

Yzaguirre AD. et al, (2017), 962, 47 - 64

Disruption of the aortic wall by coelomic lining-derived mesenchymal cells accompanies the onset of aortic hematopoiesis.

Arraf AA. et al, (2017), Int J Dev Biol, 61, 329 - 335

Initial seeding of the embryonic thymus by immune-restricted lympho-myeloid progenitors.

Luis TC. et al, (2016), Nat Immunol, 17, 1424 - 1435

Turning it down a Notch.

de Bruijn M., (2016), Blood, 128, 1541 - 1542

Hematopoietic Reprogramming In Vitro Informs In Vivo Identification of Hemogenic Precursors to Definitive Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

Pereira C-F. et al, (2016), Dev Cell, 36, 525 - 539

An experimentally validated network of nine haematopoietic transcription factors reveals mechanisms of cell state stability.

Schütte J. et al, (2016), Elife, 5

An experimentally validated network of nine haematopoietic transcription factors reveals mechanisms of cell state stability

Schutte J. et al, (2016), ELIFE, 5

EMBRYONIC HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITORS DEPEND ON KIT LIGAND FOR IN VIVO EXPANSION AND DIFFERENTIATION

Azzoni E. et al, (2016), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 44, S43 - S43

PATHWAYS REGULATING THE ENDOTHELIAL-TO-HEMATOPOIETIC TRANSITION

de Bruijn M. et al, (2016), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 44, S29 - S29

DEFINITIVE ERYTHRO-MYELOID PROGENITORS (EMP) WITH MACROPHAGE-RESTRICTED LINEAGE POTENTIAL EMERGE IN MYB-NULL MURINE EMBRYOS

Palis J. et al, (2016), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 44, S93 - S93

EMBRYONIC THYMOPOIESIS IS INITIATED BY AN IMMUNE-RESTRICTED LYMPHO-MYELOID PROGENITOR INDEPENDENTLY OF NOTCH SIGNALING

Luis TC. et al, (2016), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 44, S65 - S65

The Origin of Tissue-Resident Macrophages: When an Erythro-myeloid Progenitor Is an Erythro-myeloid Progenitor.

Perdiguero EG. et al, (2015), Immunity, 43, 1023 - 1024

An international effort to cure a global health problem: A report on the 19th Hemoglobin Switching Conference.

Blobel GA. et al, (2015), Exp Hematol, 43, 821 - 837

SMAD1 and SMAD5 Expression Is Coordinately Regulated by FLI1 and GATA2 during Endothelial Development.

Marks-Bluth J. et al, (2015), Mol Cell Biol, 35, 2165 - 2172

Tissue-resident macrophages originate from yolk-sac-derived erythro-myeloid progenitors.

Gomez Perdiguero E. et al, (2015), Nature, 518, 547 - 551

TISSUE-RESIDENT MACROPHAGES ORIGINATE FROM YOLK SAC-DERIVED ERYTHRO-MYELOID PROGENITORS

Perdiguero EG. et al, (2015), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 43, S64 - S64

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF KIT LIGAND AT THE ONSET OF HEMATOPOIESIS

Azzoni E. et al, (2015), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 43, S51 - S51

A FULLY VALIDATED BLOOD STEM/PROGENITOR CELL REGULATORY NETWORK REVEALS MECHANISMS OF CELL STATE STABILISATION

Schutte J. et al, (2015), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 43, S47 - S47

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF KIT LIGAND AT THE ONSET OF HEMATOPOIESIS

Azzoni E. et al, (2015), HAEMATOLOGICA, 100, 126 - 126

Mouse regulatory DNA landscapes reveal global principles of cis-regulatory evolution.

Vierstra J. et al, (2014), Science, 346, 1007 - 1012

A comparative encyclopedia of DNA elements in the mouse genome.

Yue F. et al, (2014), Nature, 515, 355 - 364

The hemangioblast revisited.

de Bruijn M., (2014), Blood, 124, 2472 - 2473

Single-cell analyses of regulatory network perturbations using enhancer-targeting TALEs suggest novel roles for PU.1 during haematopoietic specification.

Wilkinson AC. et al, (2014), Development, 141, 4018 - 4030

Runx1 is required for progression of CD41+ embryonic precursors into HSCs but not prior to this.

Liakhovitskaia A. et al, (2014), Development, 141, 3319 - 3323

Using RUNX1 enhancer-reporter transgenic mouse models to dissect discrete stages of developmental hematopoiesis

Rode C. et al, (2014), TRANSGENIC RESEARCH, 23, 865 - 865

A short history of hemogenic endothelium.

Swiers G. et al, (2013), Blood Cells Mol Dis, 51, 206 - 212

Lymphomyeloid contribution of an immune-restricted progenitor emerging prior to definitive hematopoietic stem cells.

Böiers C. et al, (2013), Cell Stem Cell, 13, 535 - 548

Characterization of transcriptional networks in blood stem and progenitor cells using high-throughput single-cell gene expression analysis.

Moignard V. et al, (2013), Nat Cell Biol, 15

Characterization of transcriptional networks in blood stem and progenitor cells using high-throughput single-cell gene expression analysis.

Moignard V. et al, (2013), Nat Cell Biol, 15, 363 - 372

Dlk1 is a negative regulator of emerging hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Mirshekar-Syahkal B. et al, (2013), Haematologica, 98, 163 - 171

RUNX1 is a key target in t(4;11) leukemias that contributes to gene activation through an AF4-MLL complex interaction.

Wilkinson AC. et al, (2013), Cell Rep, 3, 116 - 127

Early dynamic fate changes in haemogenic endothelium characterized at the single-cell level.

Swiers G. et al, (2013), Nat Commun, 4

ESTABLISHMENT OF LYMPHO-MYELOID RESTRICTED PROGENITORS PRIOR TO THE EMERGENCE OF DEFINITIVE HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS

Boiers C. et al, (2013), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 41, S13 - S13

The earliest thymic T cell progenitors sustain B cell and myeloid lineage potential.

Luc S. et al, (2012), Nat Immunol, 13, 412 - 419

DISTINCT RUNX1 ENHANCERS DIRECT TRANSCRIPTION TO DISCRETE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENTAL HEMATOPOIESIS

O'Rourke J. et al, (2012), EXPERIMENTAL HEMATOLOGY, 40, S62 - S63

More publications