Welcome to the Oehler Lab

Dr. Oehler's research and clinical focuses on the mechanisms of leukemia disease initiation/progression and therapy resistance, new agents in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic disorders.

As a physician scientist a translational approach is an overarching theme of my work, with the goal, whenever possible, of finding direct applications to patient care. In my clinical practice I see patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), myeloproliferative neoplasms, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). My laboratory has generated or analyzed large high-throughput gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression data sets from CML and acute myeloid leukemia AML patient samples to identify genes, miRNAs, and pathways that contribute to leukemogenesis and therapy resistance. We have investigated how specific candidates contribute to disease, can be targeted by existing or new therapeutic strategies and can be used to predict outcomes.

Our work has identified gene signatures associated with CML progression to acute leukemia. We have also discovered new roles and direct targets of noncoding RNAs such as miRNAs that contribute to resistance and relapse in AML. The lab is also active in developing tools and assays to better prognosticate outcomes for CML patients. We are also active in the development and clinical trial testing of new therapeutic agents in CML and AML.