Michelle Kelliher

Michelle Kelliher is a Professor and holder of the Our Danny Cancer Fund Chair in Biomedical Research I at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She holds multiple appointments across the institution, including in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine departments of Microbiology and Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, as well as several departments within the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences including Cancer Biology, Immunology and Microbiology Program, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, MD/PhD Program, and Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program.

Dr. Kelliher received her BA in Biology from Smith College, MS in Biology from Yale University, and PhD in Immunology from Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on two primary areas: mechanisms of leukemogenesis, particularly T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and the role of RIP kinases in cell death and inflammation. Her laboratory has developed important genetically engineered mouse models of pediatric T-ALL to study oncogene cooperation and leukemia-initiating cells. She has made significant contributions to understanding the NOTCH1-MYC axis in leukemia and has developed patient-derived xenograft models for relapsed T-ALL and ETP-ALL. In her RIP kinase research, she has demonstrated critical roles for RIPK1 in regulating cell death pathways, inflammation, and tissue homeostasis.

Dr. Kelliher's publication record shows a strong focus on cancer biology, immunology, and cell death mechanisms, with recent work expanding into therapeutic targeting, computational biology tools, and immune checkpoint regulation. Her research has evolved from foundational work on RIPK1's role in TNF signaling to current investigations of kinase inhibitors, chromatin remodeling, and immune-based therapies for leukemia.

• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Special Fellow Award (1995-1998)
• Sidney Kimmel Cancer Scholar Award (2000-2002)
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar Award (2003-2008)
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Stohlman Scholar Award (2008)
• Member, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career Development Review Panel (2007)
• Permanent Member, NIH Cancer Genetics Study Section (2008-2012)
• Hyundai Hope on Wheels Award for Pediatric Cancer (2013-2015)

Dr. Kelliher has secured substantial research funding from the NIH (NCI and NIAID), Hyundai Hope Grant for Pediatric Cancers, and Alex's Lemonade Stand Innovator Award. Her laboratory actively trains postdoctoral researchers and offers rotation projects focused on leukemia-initiating cell survival, glucocorticoid resistance mechanisms, and RIPK1 kinase function in inflammatory diseases. The Kelliher Lab maintains an active research program with significant contributions to understanding both cancer biology and fundamental cell death mechanisms.