Clinical Interests

The research program in the Abdul-Aziz lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the aging bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) niche and the role of aged microenvironment cells in promoting adult myeloid leukemia development and response to therapy. Using patient tumor cells and in vitro as well as in vivo assays, the lab aims to uncover intrinsic mechanisms in the mesenchymal stromal cell and immune cell components of the BMM that are associated with natural and leukemia-induced aging. The lab also places a large emphasis on investigating the effect of targeted leukemia therapies on components of the bone marrow microenvironment with the goal to understand mechanisms of resistance and relapse that are microenvironment driven.

Education, Training & Credentials

• Biomedical Research, The University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, 2018
• MSc, Oncology, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, 2011
• BSc, Pharmacy and Biotechnology, The German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, 2010

Memberships

• European Hematology Association (EHA)
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA)
• American Society of Hematology (ASH)
• American Aging Association (AGE)

Honors & Awards

• The NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00)
• The Ohio State University, Pelotonia postdoctoral fellowship

Publications

NCBI Bibliography

Abdul-Aziz A, Devine RD, Lyberger JM, Chang H, Kovacs A, Lerma JR, Rogers AM, Byrd JC, Hertlein E, Behbehani GK. Mass Cytometry as a Tool for Investigating Senescence in Multiple Model Systems. Cells. 2023 Aug 11;12(16). doi: 10.3390/cells12162045. PubMed PMID: 37626855; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10453346.

Abdul-Aziz AM, Sun Y, Hellmich C, Marlein CR, Mistry J, Forde E, Piddock RE, Shafat MS, Morfakis A, Mehta T, Di Palma F, Macaulay I, Ingham CJ, Haestier A, Collins A, Campisi J, Bowles KM, Rushworth SA. Acute myeloid leukemia induces protumoral p16INK4a-driven senescence in the bone marrow microenvironment. Blood. 2019 Jan 31;133(5):446-456. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-04-845420. Epub 2018 Nov 6. PubMed PMID: 30401703; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6356984.

Abdul-Aziz AM, Shafat MS, Sun Y, Marlein CR, Piddock RE, Robinson SD, Edwards DR, Zhou Z, Collins A, Bowles KM, Rushworth SA. HIF1α drives chemokine factor pro-tumoral signaling pathways in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncogene. 2018 May;37(20):2676-2686. doi: 10.1038/s41388-018-0151-1. Epub 2018 Feb 28. PubMed PMID: 29487418.

Abdul-Aziz AM, Shafat MS, Mehta TK, Di Palma F, Lawes MJ, Rushworth SA, Bowles KM. MIF-Induced Stromal PKCβ/IL8 Is Essential in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancer Res. 2017 Jan 15;77(2):303-311. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-1095. Epub 2016 Nov 21. PubMed PMID: 27872094.