Investigator Profile

Dr. Lev Silberstein
Dr. Lev Silberstein Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Lev Silberstein, MD, PhD

Assistant Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Washington
Attending Hematologist, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Dr. Lev Silberstein is a physician-scientist who strives to understand how microenvironment-derived signals govern quiescence and self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). His research aims to translate this knowledge into therapeutic approaches which would boost mature blood cell output post-transplant and in bone marrow failure.

Originally from Novosibirsk, Russia, he completed post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Hematology in London and Cambridge, UK. He developed a strong interest in hematopoietic stem cell biology during his PhD studies at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Prof Bertie Gottgens. For his post-doctoral work, he joined the laboratory of Prof David Scadden at Harvard where he designed and validated a novel experimental platform – proximity-based single cell analysis of the niche – which enabled identification of several previously unrecognized regulators of HSC quiescence and self-renewal (Silberstein et al, Cell Stem Cell 2016). Of those, the discovery of secreted RNAse Angiogenin as a niche factor was particularly interesting, since it suggested that a class of small RNAs called tiRNA plays a role in HSC quiescence self-renewal (Goncalves, Silberstein et al, Cell 2016). Further, this work strengthened the emerging paradigm that HSC protection from proliferative stress promotes hematopoietic regeneration.

Dr. Silberstein is a recipient of several independent research awards. Most recently, he received a Translational Research Program Grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment Award.

Dr. Silberstein has been a faculty member at Fred Hutch in the Clinical Research Division since October 2017. In addition to his research responsibilities, he is a practicing hematologist specializing in bone marrow failure and myelodysplasia, and attends a weekly out-patient clinic at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys, and playing chamber music. 

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