Javeed Iqbal, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Microbiology
Center for Lymphoma and Leukemia Research
University of Nebraska Medical Center

“It is an honor and a pleasure to receive this year’s Young Scientist Award from the Lymphoma Foundation of America (LFA). The honor of this distinction also goes to my mentor Dr. John Chan and to our lymphoma study group (LSG) members at the university of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in recognition of our team efforts in the translational research studies of lymphoma. “I want to thank Lymphoma Foundation of America for playing a significant role in ensuring support for innovative ideas and for encouraging young medical scientists to pursue translational research investigations for the benefit of lymphoma patients.

“I have the privilege of closely working with a team of esteemed investigators including pathologists, oncologists, medical geneticists, biostatisticians and basic scientists from institutes world-wide that are part of two major consortiums: The Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP) and the International peripheral T-cell lymphoma project (IPTCL). Using genome-wide techniques, we have identified robust molecular classifiers, prognostic gene signatures and oncogenic mechanisms for various subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. I am currently using the whole transcriptome/genome sequencing approaches to understand the mechanism of their malignant transformations and the etiologies of various oncogenic pathways in T and NK cell lineage tumors. These tumors are challenging to investigate, as they are rare and very heterogeneous, but clinically aggressive and current therapeutic regimens are largely ineffective.

“The development of innovative high throughput technology has given us unprecedented opportunity to improve our understanding of the lymphomagenesis and identify novel therapeutic targets. I sincerely believe that our research will eventually lead to better clinical outcome in these patients and may help in achieving the goal of personalized therapy.

“Since my own family has been affected by cancer, I can understand its impact on family members. I wish to thank the lymphoma patients as well as their families who have been partners of our research investigations and hope to honor their contributions by continuing to work towards the goal of identifying novel therapies to improve the clinical outcome of lymphoma patients.