Zuzana Totova's laboratory is group of physicians and scientists who are passionate about tackling important questions in cancer biology, and aim to improve outcomes for cancer patients. Their research focuses on genetics and epigenetics of blood cancers, especially myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.

The primary focus of the Tothova laboratory is investigation of the biology, genetics and treatment of myeloid malignancies, including the premalignant state of clonal hematopoiesis (CHIP), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

In particular, Dr. Tothova’s lab aims to contribute to our understanding of the effect of chromatin organization on hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transformation in the context of mutations in cohesin genes and other epigenetic modulators recurrently mutated in myeloid malignancies. We employ a combination of genomic, genome engineering, mouse modeling, primary cell engineering as well as classical biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology approaches to answer disease-relevant questions with the goal to identify novel therapeutic targets that can be translated to true patient benefit in the future.

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Dr. Zuzana Tothova is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Investigator in the Department of Medical Oncology and Division of Hematologic Neoplasia at the DFCI, and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute. Dr. Tothova received her B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from Williams College, a doctorate in Genetics from Harvard University for her work on FoxO transcription factors in self-renewal mechanisms of hematopoietic stem cells in Dr. Gary Gilliland’s laboratory, and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School/MIT in the Health Sciences and Technology program. She completed residency training in internal medicine at the BWH and fellowship training in adult hematology and oncology at the DFCI and MGH Cancer Center. Dr. Tothova carried out her postdoctoral studies in Dr. Benjamin Ebert’s laboratory at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital where she studied the mechanisms of cohesin mutations in MDS and AML. She is a recipient of multiple career development awards from the American Society of Hematology, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the National Institutes of Health.