Research

The research interest of my group focuses on immunological approaches to the treatment of haematological cancers. In particular, we are interested in understanding:

• The molecular mechanisms whereby cancer cells induce changes in the host immune system
• The use of allogeneic stem cell bone marrow transplant to induce a graft versus leukaemia effect
• Identification of the antigenic targets expressed by cancer cells
• Use of agents that will make tumour cells more susceptible to immune cell mediated killing, without impacting on the host immune system

Other Activities

• European Hematology Association (EHA), President 2019-2021
• President-elect 2017-2019
• EHA Governing Board, 2015-
• International workshop for NHL – Chair 2014-
• MRC Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB), 2007-2012

Major Funding

• 2017-2022- The London Clinic, Provision of clinical research Fellows in Haematology
• 2016-2019- Janssen Biotech Inc, Targeting PD-LI/PD-1 mediated inbhibitory signaling with BTK inhibitors
• 2016-2019- Wellcome Trust, Understanding the rise of HIV-assoicated Hodgkin Lymphoma despite HAART; the role of immune dysregulation
• 2015-2018- Barts Charity, Understanding the microenvironment in HIV associated Hodgkin Lymphoma, £283,221
• 2014-2019- NCI/NIH Programme Grant – CLL Research Consortium, Understanding the impact of CLL on T cell immune responses, $1,200,000

Recent Publications

PHGDH is required for germinal center formation and is a therapeutic target in MYC-driven lymphoma. D'Avola A, Legrave N, Tajan M et al. J Clin Invest (2022) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35316216

Management of adults and children receiving CAR T-cell therapy: 2021 best practice recommendations of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the Joint Accreditation Committee of ISCT and EBMT (JACIE) and the European Haematology Association (EHA). Hayden PJ, Roddie C, Bader P et al. Ann Oncol (2022) 33(2) 259-275
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34923107

Managing hematological cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: an ESMO-EHA Interdisciplinary Expert Consensus. Buske C, Dreyling M, Alvarez-Larrán A et al. ESMO Open (2022) 7(2) 100403
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35272130

First-line treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab: final analysis of the randomized, phase 3 iLLUMINATE trial. Moreno C, Greil R, Demirkan F et al. Haematologica (2022) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35021599

Bridging Chemotherapy: Follicular Lymphoma, Mantle Cell Lymphoma, and CLL Gagelmann N, Gribben J, Kröger N (2022) (10) 123-125

Educational Needs for Physicians Kröger N, Gribben J, Sánchez-Ortega I (2022) (10) 203-206

Trends in autologous stem cell transplantation for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: Changing demographics and outcomes in European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation centres from 1995 to 2019 Swan D, Hayden PJ, Eikema DJ et al. British Journal of Haematology (2022) (7)

Abstract LBA013: Phosphoproteomics reveals active drug targets on pathways of resistance and predicts response to midostaurin plus chemotherapy in FLT3 mutant-positive acute myeloid leukemia Nobre LV, Basanta CC, Pedicona SF et al. (2021) (10) lba013-lba013

Umbralisib and ublituximab: An upcoming regimen for chronic lymphocytic leukemia Gribben J Clinical Advances in Hematology and Oncology (2021) 19(7) 768-769

A Comparison of Clinical Outcomes from Updated Zuma-5 (Axicabtagene Ciloleucel) and the International Scholar-5 External Control Cohort in Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma (R/R FL) Palomba ML, Ghione P, Patel AR et al. Blood (2021) 138(10) 3543-3543

Team

Group Leaders in the Centre
Dr Andrejs Braun, Dr Jeff Davies, Dr Gabriella Ficz, Professor Kamil R. Kranc, Dr Sergey Krysov, Dr Rifca Le Dieu, Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre, Dr John Riches, Dr Bela Wrench

Clinical Research Fellows
Dr Jennifer Edelmann, Dr Robin Sanderson, Dr Joseph Taylor, Dr Edward Truelove

Biography

I hold the Gordon Hamilton Fairley Chair of Medical Oncology at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. My doctoral studies were performed at University College London as the recipient of a Wellcome Trust Fellowship Award. I continued post-doctoral training with Professor Lee Nadler at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School.

In 1992, I was appointed to the Faculty at Harvard Medical School, where I remained as Associate Professor of Medicine and an Attending Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, until returning to London in 2005. I am a founding member of the CLL Research Consortium, Associate Editor of Blood and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science.