Dr Maria Teresa Esposito

I am a senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Roehampton, where I started my research group in 2017, when I was awarded the John Goldman fellowship funded by Leuka. At UR I have a small research group studying the contribution of phospho-signalling in the development of drug resistance of leukemia and how molecular and pharmacological manipulations of this signalling can be exploited for development of successful therapeutic strategies. My technical expertise spans from cellular and molecular biology techniques to microscopy and flow cytometry. I have expertise in target validation and preclinical evaluation of drugs in leukemia models in vivo, ex vivo (Patient Derived Xenotransplants) and in vitro (cell lines, co-cultures).

I graduated in Biotechnologies applied to Medicine at the University of Napoli (Italy) “Federico II” in 2004, after completing a 3-year laboratory training in gene and stem cell therapy. I conducted my PhD research at the European School of Molecular Medicine-CEINGE in Napoli, focusing on cancer and human genetics. There I characterized a rare population of stem cells within the mouse bone marrow, the mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs), investigating their self-renewal, differentiation and tumourigenic potential. To pursue my interest in the biology of stem cells and the molecular events underlying their transformation in cancer stem cells, I then joined as post-doc the team of Prof. Eric So at the Institute of Cancer Research (UK), and eventually moved to King’s College London in 2010 when the group transferred there. At King’s I studied the molecular pathways required for establishment and maintenance of Mixed Lineage Leukaemia (MLL) stem cells, contributing to validate Beta Catenin as a new therapeutic target for MLL through genetic (Knock out mice) and functional (shRNA) approaches. Building on these skills I established my own research domain within the team, working on how to exploit DNA damage repair defects to target leukemic stem cells while sparing the normal ones, an exciting and emerging field in leukaemia therapeutics.