Jonathan Keats

Jonathan Keats, Ph.D., serves as an Assistant Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and holds the position of Scientific Director at the Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma Research, City of Hope. Additionally, he directs TGen's Bioinformatics division and the Collaborative Sequencing Center, which provides advanced genomic sequencing services to researchers worldwide. His work bridges cutting-edge genomics with clinical applications in cancer.

Dr. Keats' educational journey includes:

• Ph.D. from the University of Alberta (2005), where he investigated the clinical and biological consequences of the t(4;14)(p16;q32) translocation in multiple myeloma under Dr. Linda Pilarski.
• Postdoctoral training at the Mayo Clinic with Dr. Leif Bergsagel, focusing on identifying novel genetic events in multiple myeloma pathogenesis.

His research is predominantly centered on multiple myeloma, with secondary interests in other hematological malignancies and immunodeficiency syndromes. Dr. Keats employs innovative genomic and bioinformatic methodologies to dissect the molecular underpinnings of these diseases, particularly targeting pathways like NF-kB that drive tumor development, progression, and therapeutic resistance. His work aims to translate genomic discoveries into immediate clinical impact, aligning with TGen's ethos of 'helping someone today.'

Analysis of Dr. Keats' publication record reveals a trajectory from early investigations of specific cytogenetic abnormalities (e.g., t(4;14)) to comprehensive genomic analyses. His landmark studies include the identification of NF-kB pathway mutations and participation in the Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative. Recent work leverages advanced sequencing technologies to uncover structural variants and epigenetic modifications, demonstrating a consistent focus on integrating multi-omics data to refine disease subtyping and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities in myeloma.

Dr. Keats leads the Collaborative Sequencing Center at TGen, which utilizes state-of-the-art short-read, long-read (Oxford PromethION), and intermediate-read sequencers to provide gapless human genome assemblies. His laboratory at the Briskin Center conducts research on multiple myeloma genomics and is the lead site for the CoMMpass study, which has identified distinct myeloma subtypes based on genomic profiles. This work directly informs precision medicine approaches for myeloma patients.