Marissa Rashkovan

Marissa Rashkovan is an Assistant Professor and Researcher at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. Her work focuses on dissecting metabolic circuits in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), particularly the high-risk early T-cell precursor (ETP-ALL) subtype.

• Education: BSc in Biochemistry (2010) from McGill University, PhD in Experimental Medicine (2016) from IRCM/McGill University.

Her research explores how leukemia cell metabolism differs from normal cells, identifying therapeutic targets through innovative tools and models. Key interests include cholesterol's role in leukemogenesis, oncogenic signaling, and epigenetic regulation.

Recent studies highlight her team's work on inflammatory states in high-risk T-lineage ALL, metabolic dependencies in ETP-ALL, and enhancer hijacking mechanisms in stem cell leukemia. Her publications span top journals like Cancer Discovery and Science Translational Medicine.

• Scientific Awards: Damon Runyon Fellowships, ISEH New Investigator Award, AACR Women in Cancer Research Scholar Award, and multiple travel/graduate excellence awards.

She leads the Rashkovan Lab at CHU Sainte-Justine Azrieli Research Center, using primary patient samples, xenografts, and mouse models to advance leukemia therapy development.