Researcher Spotlight: Erin Parry, MD, PhD

DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE

Dr. Parry’s research is centered at the intersection of genomics and cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on B cell lymphomas. Her LRF research project is aimed at understanding the processes that underlie the transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into an aggressive state known as Richter’s syndrome (also known as Richter’s transformation). Using single-cell techniques, she hopes to characterize the mechanisms that drive this process. “Through studying the biology and genetics of transformation, I hope to advance knowledge and learn new approaches to target lymphoma cells so that we can improve our lymphoma therapies,” she says. She also aims to determine whether cell-free DNA obtained from blood samples can be used to quickly and easily detect evidence of transformation in patients with CLL.

Dr. Parry is a physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an instructor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She earned her medical degree and PhD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. “As a physician-scientist, I spend time caring for lymphoma patients and conducting laboratory-based research,” she explains. “In the lab, I am dedicated to studying transformation and improving outcomes for patients with transformed lymphoma.”

With the support of the Lymphoma Scientific Research Mentoring Program, Dr. Parry hopes to establish herself as an independent researcher in the field of lymphoma biology. “This is an exciting time for research in lymphoma and there’s a lot of hope for the future,” she says. “I think there’s a real opportunity to better understand lymphoma in the lab and translate these findings back to the clinic.”