Description of Research Expertise

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The Babushok Lab conducts basic and translational research to understand the fundamental mechanisms of how bone marrow can fail, how the failure of bone marrow can lead to pre-malignant genetic changes and myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia, and what is the relationship between our immune system and the development of clonal hematopoiesis.

We use state-of-the-art genome analysis, molecular biology and immunogenetic analyses, as well as in vitro and in vivo models to study the mechanisms of immune-mediated marrow failure and the factors that lead to the development of clonal hematopoiesis in bone marrow failure and aging.

KEYWORDS:
Clonal hematopoiesis, bone marrow failure, aplastic anemia, PNH, malignant predisposition to MDS and leukemia

ROTATION PROJECTS:
We are always looking for talented individuals who are passionate about science. There are opportunities to contribute at every level, and we welcome inquiries from undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and medical students, residents, and fellows. Please contact Daria.Babushok at uphs.upenn.edu to discuss research opportunities.

SEE BABUSHOK LAB WEBSITE

LAB MEMBERS:
Kathy Guo – Research Specialist
Caitlin Ritz - Research Specialist
Natasha Stanley – Research Specialist

MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCHERS:
Taylor Linaburg – Medical Student
Tristan Lim - Medical Student

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS:
Ben Frost
Jahnvi Patel

Selected Publications

Sande, CM, Chen, S, Mitchell, DV, Lin, P, Deolikar, RJ, Freeman, C, Zhou, M, Kumar, S, Zheng, S, Munkhbileg, B, Stanley, NL, Guo, K, Hausler, R, Taylor, DM, Corines, J, Morrissette, JJ, Lieberman, DB, Yang, G, Smith-Simmer, K, Banaszak, LG, Shoger, K, Nicholas, P, Walne, AJ, Dokal, I, Rosenheck, J, Churpek, JE, Johnson, FB, Olson, TS, Babushok, DV.: The Landscape of Clonal Hematopoiesis in Pediatric and Adult Telomere Biology Disorders Oral presentation at the 2024 Team Telomere Scientific Summit, Worley, ID. : 2024.

Babushok DV, DeZern AE, de Castro CM, Rogers ZR, Beenhouwer D, Broder MS, Fanning SR, Gibbs SN, Hanna R, Maciejewski JP, Scott BL, Tantravahi SK, Wlodarski MW, Yermilov I, Patel BJ.: Modified Delphi panel consensus recommendations for management of severe aplastic anemia. Blood Adv. : 2024.

Connor MP, Prathapa N, Frey NV, Gill SI, Hexner EO, Bruno XJ, Lai CE, Loren AW, Luger SM, Matthews AH, McCurdy SR, Perl AE, Porter DL, Zeringue A, Oved JH, Olson TS, Pratz KW, Babushok DV.: Hypomethylating agents are associated with high rates of hematologic toxicity in patients with secondary myeloid neoplasms developing after acquired aplastic anemia Haematologica : 2024.

Sung AD, Koll T, Gier SH, Racioppi A, White G, Lew M, Free M, Agarwal P, Bohannon LM, Johnson EJ, Selvan B, Babushok DV, Frey NV, Gill SI, Hexner EO, Martin M, Perl AE, Pratz KW, Luger SM, Chao NJ, Fisher AL, Stadtmauer EA, Porter DL, Loren AW, Bhatt VR, Gimotty PA, McCurdy SR.: Preconditioning Frailty Phenotype Influences Survival and Relapse for Older Allogeneic Transplantation Recipients. Transplant Cell Ther. : 2024.

Zhu, D, Babushok, DV, Patel, NB, Bermudez, CA, Crespo, M, Courtwright, AM.: Evaluation of a Screening Protocol for Telomere Biology Disorders in Patients Referred for Lung Transplant. Poster presentation at the ISHLT 44th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions Prague Congress Centre Prague, Czech Republic. : 2024.

Chippendale L, Freyer CW, Carulli A, Babushok DV, Frey NV, Gill SI, Hexner EO, Luger SM, Martin ME, Porter DL, Stadtmauer EA, Loren AW.: One versus two sets of busulfan therapeutic drug monitoring in myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. J Oncol Pharm Pract. : 2024.

Babushok DV, Sabatino DE. Promise of gene therapy for congenital neurologic disease due to GPI deficiency.: Promise of gene therapy for congenital neurologic disease due to GPI deficiency. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. : 2024.

Hyperactive Notch Signaling as a Potential Mechanism of PIGA–HSPC Clonal Expansion in Immune Bone Marrow Injury.: Hyperactive Notch Signaling as a Potential Mechanism of PIGA–HSPC Clonal Expansion in Immune Bone Marrow Injury. 2024 Gordon Research Seminar on Notch Signaling in Development, Regeneration and Disease, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, USA. : 2024.

Matthew P Connor, MD, Neeharika Prathapa, MBBS, Noelle V. Frey, MD, MS, Saar Gill, MD, PhD, Elizabeth O Hexner, MD, MSTR, Ximena Jordan Bruno, MD1, Catherine Lai, MD, Alison W Loren, MD, Selina M Luger, MD, FRCPC, Andrew H Matthews, MD, Shannon R McCurdy, MD, Alexander Perl, David L. Porter, MD, Arlene Zeringue, Joseph H. Oved, MD, Timothy S Olson, MD, PhD, Keith W Pratz, MD and Daria V Babushok, MD, PhD: Hypomethylating Agents Are Associated with High Rates of Hematologic Toxicity in Patients with Secondary MDS/AML That Develops after Acquired Aplastic Anemia 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, Poster Presentation, San Diego, CA : 2023.

Christopher M. Sande, MD, Stone Chen, Dana V Mitchell, PhD, Ping Lin, Rujul Jagdish Deolikar, Colby Freeman, Mary Zhou, Sushant Kumar, PhD, Shannon Zheng, Bolormaa Munkhbileg, MD, MMS, Natasha L Stanley, DO, Kathy Guo, Ryan Hausler, MS, Deanne M Taylor, PhD, James Corines, DO, Jennifer JD Morrissette, PhD, David B Lieberman, Guang Yang, MD, PhD, Kelcy Smith-Simmer, MMSc, CGC, Lauren G Banaszak, MD, Kyle Shoger, Peter Nicholas, Amanda J Walne, PhD, Inderjeet Dokal, MD, Justin Rosenheck, DO, Jane E Churpek, MD, MS, F Bradley Johnson, MD, PhD, Timothy S Olson, MD, PhD and Daria V Babushok, MD, PhD: DNA Damage Response Constrains Cell Growth and Drives Clonal Hematopoiesis in Telomere Biology Disorders 65th ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, Poster Presentation, San Diego, CA : 2023.

View all publications

Academic Contact Information

Biomedical Research Building II/III, Room 808
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-360-0561
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366