Andrew Weng | Terry Fox Laboratory

Dr. Andrew Weng attended Stanford University for his undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences and then obtained his MD and PhD degrees at the University of Chicago/Pritzker School of Medicine. He did his clinical residency training in Anatomic Pathology with a fellowship in hematopathology, followed by four years of postdoctoral research training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. In 2004, he was recruited as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC) and started his own research lab at BC Cancer Agency (BCCA). He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011, and then full Professor in 2018. Dr. Weng is also a staff hematopathologist, Director of both the clinical flow cytometry and research core flow cytometry labs, as well as Medical Director of the Stem Cell Assay lab. Dr. Weng’s research program focuses on the pathogenetic mechanisms in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and tumor heterogeneity in B-cell lymphoma. He is currently funded by 2 CIHR project grants and 2 TFRI program project grants.

Affiliations

Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia

Credentials

Education:

MD (Pritzker School of Medicine), University of Chicago, 1997
PhD (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology), University of Chicago, 1995
BS (Biological Sciences), Stanford University, 1989

Post-Graduate Training:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pathology (Supervisor: Dr. Jon Aster)
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 2000 – May 2004
Clinical Fellow in Hematopathology
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 1999 – June 2000
Resident in Anatomic Pathology
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 1997 – June 1999

Professional Experience (Research):

Distinguished Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency (BCCA), 2018-present
Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), 2018-present
Scientific Director, Flow Core Laboratory, BCCA, 2014-present
Associate Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC, 2011-2018
Senior Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BCCA, 2005-2018
Medical Director, Stem Cell Assay Laboratory, BCCA, 2012-present
Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC, 2004-2011
Clinician Scientist, Department of Pathology, BCCA, 2004-present
Instructor, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 2001-2006

Professional Experience (Clinical):

Consulting Staff, Department of Pathology, Hematopathology Division, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), 2016-present
Director, Hematopathology, BCCA, 2006-2011
Director, Clinical Flow Cytometry Lab, BCCA, 2005-present
Hematopathologist, BCCA, 2004-present
Hematopathologist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 2001-2004
Associate Pathologist, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, 2001-2004

Expertise:

Hematology
Hematopathology
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Notch Signaling

Projects

Leukemia stem cells in T-ALL

We are continuing our work examining the roles of PKCθ and Wnt signaling, as well as pursuing exciting new leads emanating from our human cord blood model, in establishing/maintaining leukemia stem cell activity in T-ALL.

In the PKCθ project, we have taken a biochemical approach to dissecting downstream pathways. We developed an analog-specific kinase variant of PKCθ, followed by discovery mode mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) to define direct kinase targets, and are pursuing functional validation of hits. This work is being done in collaboration with Gregg Morin at BCCA.

More Info about Leukemia stem cells in T-ALL

Tumor ecosystem in human lymphoma

We are using mass cytometry (CyTOF) paired with single cell genomics approaches to characterize both inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity in human B-cell lymphomas. We are examining malignant B cell populations as well as infiltrating immune cell populations (predominantly T-cells). We are focusing this work on two common types of lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We access clinical specimens from the prodigious lymphoma tumor bank established at BCCA.

More Info about Tumor ecosystem in human lymphoma

Pathogenetic mechanisms in T-ALL

Using our recently developed cord blood transduction approach, we are able to generate synthetic T-ALL by de novo transformation of normal human hematopoietic progenitors with activated NOTCH1 in combination with accessory oncogenes (M. Kusakabe et al, Nature Communications, 2019). This model generates polyclonal expansions of pre-leukemia cells in vitro within 3-4 weeks, which then produce clonal T-ALL disease within 3 months after injection into immunodeficient mice. Using this model, we are actively exploring the following areas:

More Info about Pathogenetic mechanisms in T-ALL

Selected Publications

MYC-induced human acute myeloid leukemia requires a continuing IL-3/GM-CSF costimulus.

Blood, 2020

Bulaeva, Elizabeth, Pellacani, Davide, Nakamichi, Naoto, Hammond, Colin A, Beer, Philip A, Lorzadeh, Alireza, Moksa, Michelle, Carles, Annaïck, Bilenky, Misha, Lefort, Sylvain, Shu, Jeremy, Wilhelm, Brian T, Weng, Andrew P, Hirst, Martin, Eaves, Connie J