Britta Will

Britta Will, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Oncology, Medicine (Oncology & Hematology), and Cell Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She holds leadership roles as Co-Leader of the Stem Cell & Cancer Biology Program, Director of Preclinical Modeling at the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Director of The Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine. She also holds the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Chair in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research.

Her research focuses on mechanisms of stem cell aging and transformation, particularly hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). She investigates how age-related molecular changes disrupt HSC function, leading to immune dysfunction, bone marrow failure, and leukemia. Her lab employs genetic mouse models, ex vivo/in vivo stem cell assays, lentiviral gene transfer, and next-generation sequencing to study these processes. Key research pipelines include molecular determinants of adult stem cells, therapeutically actionable safeguards in cancer stem cells, and new stem cell-directed therapies.

Her recent work highlights iron homeostasis regulation in HSC fate decisions (Cell Stem Cell, 2024), c-Kit-mediated trogocytosis regulating HSC mobilization (Science, 2024), and chaperone-mediated autophagy sustaining HSC function (Nature, 2021). These studies aim to identify therapeutic strategies to rejuvenate aged hematopoietic systems and prevent age-related blood cancers.

Dr. Will’s research has been supported by grants from the NIH, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and others. Her team collaborates closely with clinical programs to translate laboratory findings into novel therapies for myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.

Labs/Teams: The Will Lab is part of the Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, collaborating with the Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center to advance stem cell biology and oncology research.