Research projects

Dr Lisa Westerberg has two children and spends most of her free time on basketball and football. But she says it’s fantastic to see them develop and grow in their teams as it gives her a lot of inspiration for how her lab works as a team for the best scientific progress. Lisa also like to go for early morning runs, which gives her time for reflection. She says some of the best scientific ideas have come during these early morning runs, even in the Swedish temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius!

B cell lymphoma is the most common type of lymphoma diagnosed in children. It is caused by genetic mutations in a type of immune cell, called a B cell, which are normally activated in response to an infection. For many children, cure rates for B cell lymphoma are high, but there are children who will relapse after successful treatment and the cancer comes back resistant to current therapies. There are also children born with genetic disorders, such as Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, who are highly likely to develop childhood lymphoma and have much poorer outcomes.

Dr Westerberg believes that there is a set of genes responsible for maintaining control of B cell activation and suppressing development of lymphoma. Her team think that mutations to these genes cause changes in how the cells function that leads to B cell transformation and lymphoma. In this project, the researchers will study cells from lymphoma patients to gain new genetic and molecular insights into the disease. They will also conduct experiments manipulating the genes involved in B cell lymphoma, with the goal of identifying new treatment options.