Researcher Spotlight: Atish Kizhakeyil, PhD

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER

Alterations in the DTX1 gene are highly prevalent in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but their clinical significance remains unclear. Using animal models and advanced genomic technologies, Dr. Kizhakeyil’s research is focused on characterizing these changes to better understand how they contribute to the malignant transformation of B cells. By doing so, he hopes that novel disease-causing pathways will emerge that can be targeted to support a disease-centered approach to treatment in patients with these alterations.

Dr. Kizhakeyil earned his medical degree from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His passion for lymphoma research developed during this time from his experiences in a clinical internship program, during which he treated many patients with lymphoma across several Southeast Asian countries. “The interaction with patients as well as clinicians during this PhD attachment program instilled a sense of purpose and motivated me to engage in lymphoma research,” he says.

He is currently completing his postdoctoral research in DLBCL at the University of Texas MD Anderson and hopes to one day establish his own laboratory studying regulators of germinal B cells and lymphomagenesis. Through his research and beyond, Dr. Kizhakeyil hopes to pave the way for innovative approaches toward the treatment of B-cell lymphomas.