Paresh Vyas

Paresh Vyas is Professor of Haematology and deputy director of the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at Oxford University. He has made transformative discoveries in the basic biology, translational science and development of novel therapies of lethal adult blood cancers, particularly acute myeloid leukaemia. He was the first to show tumour propagating patient AML leukemic stem cells are arrested at distinct progenitor and precursor stages of blood cell differentiation rather than at the stem cell level. This discovery conceptually changed the field and enabled him to identify new cell surface biomarkers to sensitively track therapy resistant LSCs that cause disease relapse. Professor Vyas transformed our understanding of biology and care of children with Down Syndrome AML by precisely identifying children at risk of AML; an approach which is now embedded in UK guidelines.