Single-cell Cancer Genomics

Brain Tumor Research Center
Brain Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program
Department of Neurosurgery
Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA USA

Overview

We study the development and evolution of cancer through the lens of intratumoral genetic, transcriptional, and immunological heterogeneity. Our work lies at the intersection of computational biology, molecular biology, and medicine: Using techniques drawn from applied mathematics, statistics, and computer science, we integrate multidimensional genomic and clinical data to derive biologically relevant and clinically actionable insights into cancer. In particular, we employ state-of-the-art genomic technologies – such as single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), single-cell DNA-sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics – which enable us to understand intratumoral heterogeneity with unprecedented resolution. We work on a variety of tumor types, with an early focus on acute myeloid leukemia and a current focus on brain tumors. In the fall of 2022 we moved to MGH, where we collaborate with multiple groups in Neurosurgery, Neuroendocrinology, and Neuro-Oncology. We welcome new lab members and collaborators interested in studying cancer from a systems-level perspective.

Major Areas of Inquiry:

Tumor ecosystems Allegra Petti lab — **Tumor ecosystems.** We are using multiple scRNA-seq technologies to understand the interplay of tumor, immune, and stromal cells in a variety of tumor types.

single-cell RNA sequencing, tumor evolution, AML, Allegra Petti Lab — **Tumor evolution.** We are integrating genome sequencing data and scRNA-seq data to better understand tumor evolution and subclonal gene expression profiles.

Spatial transcriptomics Allegra Petti lab — **Spatial Heterogeneity.** We are applying spatial transcriptomics to human samples and mouse models to understand how tumors change over space and time.