Address:
- Hematology Division
Mail Stop 8056-0029-11, Washington University, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 (mail) - Room 744, Southwest Tower (lab)
Clinical Interest: Clonal hematopoiesis; Myeloproliferative neoplasms; Myelodysplastic syndromes
Research Interest: Clonal evolution; Malignant transformation; Cancer detection
Research: I am interested in the genomics of clonal hematopoiesis and the molecular mechanisms of malignant transformation. During my graduate training in the laboratory of Dr. Todd Druley, we developed sequencing-based tools for detecting leukemia based on disease-specific somatic mutations (PMID: 25644247). Interestingly, when we applied this tool to study healthy individuals, we discovered that clonal hematopoiesis—ostensibly healthy hematopoietic cells harboring leukemia-associated mutations in disease-free individuals—is a ubiquitous phenomenon by middle age (PMID: 27546487, PMID: 31004019). We also redefined our understanding of TP53-mutated therapy-related AML by showing that pre-leukemic TP53 mutations precede and are selected for by cytotoxic exposure, upending the existing dogma that cytotoxic exposure introduces oncogenic TP53 mutations directly (PMID: 25487151). After my MD/PhD training, I continued with internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology fellowship training in the Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) at Barnes Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine—focusing clinically on myeloproliferative neoplasms. My post-doctoral mentor, Dr. Grant Challen, is an expert in stem cell biology and clonal evolution. In his lab, we have focused on understanding how clonal mutations in the hematopoietic compartment arise, evolve over time and create disease-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities. Specifically, we are developing tools to detect oncogenic fusions (PMID: 37813299), understanding the clonal organization and evolution of clonal hematopoiesis, determining the molecular drivers of myeloproliferative neoplasms (PMID: 38421682), and identifying how occupation (e.g. firefighting) and lifestyle (e.g. smoking) lead to genomic alterations before the development of malignancy.
Biosketch
Education
- 2018-2010: MD, PhD, Molecular Genetics and Genomics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- 2007-2003: BA, Awarded with College Honors, Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Post-Graduate Training
- 2023-2020: Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
- 2020-2018: Internal Medicine Residency, Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Academic Positions & Employment
- 2023-present: Instructor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Board Certification
- 2021-present: American Board of Internal Medicine, Board Certified in Internal Medicine
Honors & Awards
- 2019: Intern of the Month (March), Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
- 2019: Intern of the Year, John Cochran Veterans Hospital, St. Louis, MO
- 2019: Gregory J. Gurtner, MD Internal Medicine Research Award, St. Louis, MO
- 2017: Abstract Achievement Award, American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
- 2016: Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Medical Science Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- 2015: Best Oral Presentation, Molecular Genetics and Genomics Retreat, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Appointments & Committees
- 2020-2018: House Staff Liaison Committee, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Professional Societies
- 2020-present: Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology
- 2010-present: Member, American Society of Hematology
Selected Publications
- Spatial Mapping of Hematopoietic Clones in Human Bone Marrow
Young AL, Davis HC, Cox MJ, Parsons TM, Burkart SC, Bender DE, Sun L, Oh ST, Challen GA.
Blood Cancer Discov.2024 Feb 29. doi - Droplet Digital PCR for Oncogenic KMT2A Fusion Detection
Young AL, Davis HC, Challen GA
(J Mol Diagn 25(12), 898-906) - Clonal Haematopoiesis and Risk of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Young AL, Tong RS, Birmann BM, Druley TE
Haematologica 140(12), 2410-2417 (2019) - Clonal Hematopoiesis Harboring AML-Associated Mutations is Ubiquitous in Healthy Adults
Young AL, Challen GA, Birmann BM, Druley TE
Nat Commun 7, 12484 (2016) - The Role of Early TP53 Mutations in the Evolution of Therapy-Related AML
Wong TN*, Ramsingh G*, Young AL*, Miller CA, Touma W, Welch JS, Lamprecht T, Shen D, Hundal J, Fulton RS, Heath S, Baty JD, Ding L, Mardis ER, Westervelt P, DiPersio JF, Walter MJ, Graubert TA, Ley TJ, Druley TE, Link DC, Wilson RK
Nature 518, 552-555 (2015) - Quantifying ultra-rare pre-leukemic clones via targeted error-corrected sequencing
Young AL, Wong TN, Hughes AEO, Heath S, Ley TJ, Link DC, Druley TE
Leukemia 29, 1608-11 (2015)