Molecular Pharmacology Program

The Alex Kentsis Lab

Research

Pictured: Alex Kentsis
Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD

We study the biology of cancers that affect children and young adults ranging from embryonal tumors in infants, leukemias and brain tumors in children, and sarcomas in young adults. Scientists in our group use inter-disciplinary experimental tools as they work to understand the fundamental causes of cancer and to develop definitive therapies for their control. Detailed information about our research is available at https://alexkentsis.net.

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Kentsis Research Group, Summer 2023

Kentsis Research Group, Summer 2023

Publications Highlights

Jubierre L, Rodriguez Fos, Planas-Felix, Lewis, Cameron,  Demarest,  Nabila, Zhao, Bergin, Reed, Yamada, Socci, Hayes, Rabadan, Torrents, Kruer, Toth, Kentsis A. A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development. bioRxiv.

Bigot Y, Yamada M, Mueller H, Morell V, Alves S, Lecomte T, Kentsis A. Analysis of DNA transposition by DNA transposases in human cells. bioRxiv. 

Takao S, Morell V, Brown FC, Koche R, Kentsis A. Epigenetic mechanisms controlling human leukemia stem cells and therapy resistance. bioRxiv.

Kazansky Y, Cameron D, Demarest P, Zaffaroni N, Arrighetti N, Zuco V, Kuwahara Y, Qu R, de Stanchina E, Dela Cruz F, Kung A, Gounder M, Kentsis A. Overcoming clinical resistance to EZH2 inhibition using rational epigenetic combination therapy. Cancer Discovery, 2024.

Yamada M, Keller R, Cameron D, Suzuki H, Sanghrajka R, Vaynshteyn J, Gerwin J, Maura F, Hooper W, Shah M, Robine N, Demarest P, Bayin SN, Jubierre L, Reed C, Taylor MD, Joyner AL, Raju PG, Kentsis A. Childhood cancer mutagenesis caused by transposase-derived PGBD5. Science Advances, 2024.

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People

Pictured: Alex Kentsis

Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD

  • Cancer biologist and pediatric oncologist Alex Kentsis leads research in the functional proteomics and molecular pharmacology of refractory childhood cancers.
  • MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
  • PhD, New York University
[email protected]
Email Address
1-646-888-2593
Office Phone
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Physician profile

Members

Anna Antonova

Graduate Student

Gabriella Casalena
Gabriella Casalena

Scientific Research Manager

Shuyuan Cheng
Shuyuan Cheng

Graduate Student

Kulej
Katarzyna Kulej

Scientific Research Lead

Danmeng Luo
Danmeng Luo

Research Fellow

HANNAH
Hannah Major-Monfried

Research Fellow

Helen Mueller

Research Fellow

Sophia Rha
Sophia Rha

Research Technician

Laura Schmalbrock
Laura Schmalbrock

Research Fellow

Alicia Slavit
Alicia Slavit

Research Technician

Sumiko Takao

Senior Research Scientist

Stephanie Tingue
Stephanie Tingue

Administrative Assistant

Masahiro Uni
Masahiro Uni

Research Fellow

Ning Wang
Ning Wang

Research Fellow

Makiko Yamada
Makiko Yamada

Senior Research Scientist

Anna Zychlinsky-Scharff

Research Fellow

Lab Affiliations

Achievements

  • Louise and Allston Boyer Award for Clinical Research
  • Terry Ann Krulwich Physician-Scientist Alumni Award
  • Pershing Square Sohn Prize
  • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Scholar Award
  • Josie Robertson Investigator (2013-2018)
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  • St. Baldrick’s Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award
  • Elected Member of American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • Society for Pediatric Research Young Investigator Award
  • Rita Allen Foundation Scholar Award
  • Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Clinical Investigator Award
  • American Society of Hematology Scholar Award
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists
  • Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Residency in Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  • MD, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and New York University
  • AB, SM, University of Chicago

Lab News & Events

Upcoming event

Attenuating Oncogenic Transcription with Small Molecules

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Zuckerman Research Center
417 East 68th Street
Room ZRC-105
New York, NY 10065

Open Positions

To learn more about available postdoctoral opportunities, please visit our Career Center

To learn more about compensation and benefits for postdoctoral researchers at MSK, please visit Resources for Postdocs

Career Opportunities

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Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Alex Kentsis discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Blueprint Medicines
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Novartis
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Rgenta Therapeutics Inc.
    Equity; Professional Services and Activities
  • U.S. Department of Justice
    Professional Services and Activities

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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