I am a former Special Fellow of the LLS and a Scholar of American Society of Hematology. My research team studies how surveillance of malignant cells by host immune cells is suppressed in pediatric and adult lymphoid malignancies including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphomas. Because the host immune system defends against cancer, lymphoid malignancies have evolved strategies to evade immune recognition. To make lymphoid malignancies vulnerable to attack by the host immune system, we are delineating how non-malignant, host immune cells are suppressed in these malignancies using mouse models and samples provided by adults and children suffering from ALL and lymphomas. We are applying our findings to develop diagnosis and early intervention strategies and to engineer safe immunotherapeutic cures for ALL and lymphomas. With support from LLS TRP, we will further develop natural killer cells, one of the first lines of anticancer immune defense, to combat high-risk pediatric lymphoid malignancies.