Research in the development of blood stem cells receives international recognition

Ana Cvejic is heading the Cvejic Group at BRIC, a lab that investigates the development and function of blood stem cells.

On being elected as member of EMBO, she says: ”Being elected as an EMBO member is a tremendous honour. The selection process involves nomination and voting by EMBO members, who are distinguished researchers across Europe. It is gratifying to have our scientific efforts recognized in this way, and it also serves as a valuable morale boost for the lab—reaffirming that our commitment to rigorous, high-quality science is appreciated by the wider scientific community.”

In their research into the development and function of blood cells, Ana Cvejic and her group focus on how hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells differentiate across developmental stages and tissues.

Mapping the cellular mechanisms behind cancer development

Ana Cvejic and her lab also explores how tumors reprogram cells in the tumor microenvironment to support cancer progression. Using human tissues, they generate detailed cellular atlases that reveal regulatory mechanisms in health and disease, with applications in cancer research and regenerative medicine.

Chromosome variation alters the stem cell function and cell environment, causing leukemia in children with Down’s Syndrome

Ana Cvejic’s research is currently centered on exploring how aneuploidy and somatic mutations affect hematopoietic stem cell lineage commitment and contribute to disease progression.

Recently, she and her group discovered that the Down’s Syndrome, trisomy of chromosome 21,  alters the enhancer-gene interaction network in hematopoietic stem cells, creating a cellular environment that supports the development of myeloid leukemia in children with Down’s Syndrome.

They are now investigating the underlying mechanisms that drive these epigenetic alterations in the context of aneuploidy.