The AACR-John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Basic Cancer Research Fellowship encourages and supports a postdoctoral or clinical research fellow to conduct basic cancer research and establish a successful career path in this field.

2025 Grantee

Scientific Statement of Research

A distinguishing feature of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells is their prominent nucleoli, which are foci of active ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis. rRNAs are specialized non-coding RNAs that form the ribosomal catalytic sites, and their transcription by RNA polymerase 1 (Pol1) is an essential step in ribosome biogenesis. However, the mechanisms that control rRNA production under homeostatic and oncogenic settings remain poorly defined. Based on preliminary data that rRNA levels are aberrantly elevated in primary AML cells, Dr. Hung’s project will explore (1) how oncogene signaling pathways regulate Pol1 activity and rRNA synthesis, and (2) whether targeting rRNA output can uncover a novel vulnerability in AML cells.

Biography

Dr. Hung received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Brown University and his MD/PhD degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied the mechanisms of DNA double-strand break repair. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a clinical fellow in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. His research focuses on the role of ribosome biogenesis in leukemia biology.

Acknowledgment of Support

“Thanks to the generous support provided by the AACR-John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Basic Cancer Research Fellowship, I will be able to take my project towards a deeper and more exploratory direction that I can hopefully develop into an independent research program.”