Scott John Diede, MD, PhD

The goal of my research is to determine the role DNA methylation plays in the formation of pediatric cancers. Pediatric cancers are fundamentally different from adult malignancies, being less genetically complex and also embryonal in nature, a characteristic that suggests a block in the normal process of differentiation may exist. As opposed to the acquisition of genetic mutations, aberrant epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation, may play a crucial role in this block, and provides an attractive target for novel therapies. Attempting to correct genetic mutations that drive cancer growth is a daunting task, however reversing epigenetic changes such as abnormal DNA methylation may be much more amenable to drug development. Cancer-specific DNA methylation may also provide valuable biomarkers for cancer detection, diagnosis, and risk assessment. I have a broad background in chromatin and chromosome maintenance, with specific training and expertise in molecular biology and assay development. These skills were first honed during my Ph.D. thesis work using yeast as a model organism to study telomere biology and have subsequently been developed during my work as a clinical fellow and junior faculty member studying genomic and epigenomic changes that occur in pediatric cancer. As a practicing pediatric hematologist and oncologist, I am also able to identify challenges in the clinical setting and bring these problems back into the laboratory and attempt to solve them. In summary, I have a demonstrated record of innovative research projects in the subject of cancer biology, and my expertise and experience have prepared me to translate new discoveries made in the laboratory into new treatments for children with cancer.