Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are able to self-renew and differentiate into blood cell lineages. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of HSC self-renewal and differentiation is important both for basic stem cell biology and improving quality of stem cell transplantation in clinical settings. We are very interested in understanding how self-renewal and differentiation are regulated in HSCs at both the cellular and molecular level.

Specifically, our research focuses on three main topics:

• Understanding the role of Wnt signaling in the regulation of HSCs self-renewal, and the contribution of Wnt signaling to leukemogenesis
• Identifying new factors and signaling pathways involved in regulating HSC self-renewal using the ex vivo culture system 
• Investigating the role of epigenetic regulation in HSCs function. We use both transgenic and humanized NSG models as the major research system.

The knowledge gained from these studies will provide new insights into the mechanisms of the regulation of HSCs self-renewal and differentiation, as well as the molecular and cellular biology of leukemia stem cells. It will be valuable for the diagnosis and prevention of hematopoietic diseases and the development of innovative therapeutics for many hematopoietic disorders.