Mark A. Murakami, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Academic Titles

Assistant Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Lymphoma and Myeloma

Member, Leukemia

Research Abstract

Minimal residual disease constitutes a barrier to cure for many lymphoid malignancies but also presents therapeutic opportunities. My research program seeks to define biological programs engaged by B-cell leukemias and lymphomas to allow long-term persistence on therapy. We pursue this goal through the use of functional and molecular tools, including cell-free DNA sequencing assays, single-cell RNA-sequencing, and single-cell biophysical profiling technologies. We associate these tools with enterprise-level clinical and molecular data, curated through our role in clinical data aggregation initiatives. Biological findings with translational potential are ultimately tested in the context of early phase clinical trials. The lab develops the expertise of a diverse group of trainees, including wet lab scientists, bioinformaticians, clinical researchers, and clinician-scientists. Dr. Murakami participates in teaching of laboratory and clinical trainees at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as students in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School.