Lourdes Mendez

Dr. Lourdes Mendez is an Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine and a member of the Yale Leukemia Clinical and Research Team. She specializes in the clinical care of patients with myeloid disorders and leukemia, with a focus on translational research to develop novel therapies. Her work bridges laboratory findings and clinical applications to improve outcomes for high-risk acute leukemia and precursor conditions like CHIP/CCUS.

Education & Training:

• MD and PhD in Cell Biology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Residency at Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian
• Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Genetics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Research Focus:

Dr. Mendez's research centers on identifying novel therapeutics for myeloid disorders and leukemia, with particular emphasis on molecular mechanisms underlying clonal hematopoiesis and its progression to malignancy. She investigates therapeutic adherence in chronic myeloid leukemia and explores combinations of immunotherapy with chemotherapy.

Clinical Trials:

She leads or participates in multiple trials targeting acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and related conditions, including studies of Menin-MLL inhibitors (KO-539) and HM43239.

Labs/Teams:

Mendez is part of the Yale Cancer Center and the Hematology Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital, collaborating with teams focused on precision medicine and translational oncology.