Marlen Metzner

As a Research Assistant in Paresh Vyas’ laboratory at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, I am working on a number of projects in the lab focussing on understanding the genetic heterogeneity of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Our lab uses a capture-based sequencing panel targeting genes commonly mutated in myeloid malignancies to genetically characterise driver mutations in many of the samples in our Haematopoietic Cell Biobank. We also analyse patient samples from large national AML clinical trials, as well as early-phase clinical trials of novel compounds and treatment combinations, with the aim to better understand the impact of somatic mutations on clinical outcome and mechanisms of response and resistance to different therapies. Apart from bulk DNA and RNA sequencing techniques, we utilise single cell methods to study genetic, transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility changes at the single cell level in certain patient groups or throughout treatment.

I have also been involved in setting up and providing Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) monitoring using multi-parameter flow cytometry for AML patients enrolled in clinical trials.

Prior to joining the Vyas Group in 2015, I studied for a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Lübeck in Germany and worked on my master’s project at the Molecular Cancer Research Center of the Charite, Berlin, Germany.