Timothy J. Ley is an American hematologist and cancer biologist. He is the Lewis T. and Rosalind B. Apple Professor of Oncology in the department of medicine, and former chief of the section of stem cell biology in the division of oncology at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

. He is the co-director of the Oliver Langenberg Physician-Scientist Training Program in the Department of Medicine, and is a member of the

Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is a cancer treatment, research and education institution with six locations in the St. Louis area. Siteman is the only cancer center in M ...

. Ley's research group focuses on the genetics and genomics of

acute myeloid leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with haematopoiesis, normal blood cell production. Sympt ...

(AML). His lab studies the development of normal and leukemic blood cells. His work is focused on identifying the mutations and epigenetic events that are responsible for the initiation and progression of AML. Ley led the team that sequenced the first cancer genome (from an AML patient). He has gone on to develop projects that will use whole genome sequencing to help diagnose and treat patients with AML. To better understand the role of many of the mutations discovered through whole genome sequencing of leukemias, he and his colleagues have constructed several mouse models of AML, which are very similar to human AML. Dr. Ley's laboratory has also helped to define the roles of granzymes for the functions of cytotoxic and regulatory

T cells T cells (also known as T lymphocytes) are an important part of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on their ce ...

. Ley grew up in

Lakota, Iowa Lakota is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 267 at the time of the 2020 census. Prior to 1919, the town was known as Germania. History The present town of Lakota was originally named Germania. The original town s ...

. He received his B.A. degree from

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, education, Legal education, law, and pharmacy. Drake U ...

in 1974, and his M.D. from

Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine shares a ca ...

in 1978. He did his internship and residency in Medicine at

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...

, was a clinical associate at the

NHLBI The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is the third largest Institute of the National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It is tasked with allocating about $3.6 billion in FY 20 ...

(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute), a Hematology-Oncology Fellow at Washington University Medical Center, and a senior investigator at the NHLBI before moving to Washington University in 1986. In 2015, Ley was appointed to the National Cancer Advisory Board by President Obama. Ley was the recipient of the

Leopold Griffuel Prize The Leopold Griffuel Prize (Prix Leopold Griffuel) for translational and clinical research is sponsored by the French ARC Foundation for Cancer Research. The prize is designed to reward the accomplishments of and encourage further research among th ...

Leopold Griffuel Prize
/ref> for Basic Science in 2022.

Awards and honors

* Recipient, Leopold Griffuel Prize for Basic Science, Fondation ARC, Paris, France, 2022 * Elected,

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

, 2019 *Alfred G. Knudson Prize for Cancer Genetics,

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

, 2015 *Recipient, The Erasmus Hematology Award,

Erasmus MC Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC or EMC) is a teaching hospital based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, affiliated with Erasmus University and home to its faculty of medicine. It is the largest and one of the most authoritative scientific uni ...

, 2015 *Recipient, E. Donnall Thomas Prize,

American Society of Hematology The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is a professional organization representing hematologists, founded in 1958. Its annual meeting is held in December of every year and has attracted more than 30,000 attendees. The society publishes the medi ...

, 2012 *Recipient, The George Engelmann Interdisciplinary Award, Academy of Science, St. Louis, 2012 *Elected,

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

, 2010 *Treasurer,

Association of American Physicians The Association of American Physicians (AAP) is an honorary medical society founded in 1885 by the Canadian physician Sir William Osler and six other distinguished physicians of his era for "the advancement of scientific and practical medicine ...

, 2007–2012 *Elected,

National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...

, 2003 *Fellow,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, 2002 *President,

American Society for Clinical Investigation The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), established in 1908, is one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States. Organization and purpose The ASCI is an honorary society to which more than 2,800 p ...

, 1997–1998

References

External links

Divisions of Hematology and OncologyLey PubMed Citations"Cancer gene complexity revealed."
''BBC News.'' 7 August 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ley, Timothy 1953 births Living people Cancer genomics Members of the National Academy of Medicine Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Washington University in St. Louis fellows Washington University School of Medicine faculty Washington University School of Medicine alumni Drake University alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science