David Kent
Deputy Head of Department (Research)

Profile

Biography

David earned a BSc in Genetics and English Literature at the University of Western Ontario, Canada and obtained his PhD in Genetics (2009) at the University of British Columbia, Canada. His postdoctoral research was at the University of Cambridge where he primarily studied malignant blood stem cell biology and established his research group there in 2015. In 2019, the lab relocated to the University of York and the York Biomedical Research Institute and in 2023, he joined the newly launched Centre for Blood Research. David is the HAEM Cluster Lead for the MRC National Mouse Genetics Network, sits on the MRC MCMB panel and is Vice-Chair of the EHA Fellowships and Grants Committee.  He is also a Faculty member for EHA training programmes and the European Summer School on Stem Cells. David has a keen interest in improving the way that we communicate science and educate and train scientists, including launching The Black Hole and writing for the Signals blog on regenerative medicine.  

• Find him on X, LinkedIn or ORCID.

Research

Projects

Our lab’s research is highly interdisciplinary, with four major themes (see below).  We are always keen to hear from potential students and postdocs who might like to join our team at the Centre for Blood Research. We also benefit from being directly adjacent to the world-class facilities in the Biosciences Technology Facility and our involvement with national and international collaborations (USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Uganda, Tanzania).

Understanding the molecular regulators of normal blood stem cells

Here, we focus on how cell fate decisions are made on a single cell level in an effort to understand how to expand stem cell populations outside the body (for cell replacement or as a cell source for gene therapy). We use tools such as single cell RNA-sequencing, clonal tracking and single cell transplantation assays to link molecular profile with cellular function.

Key publications

•    Sakurai et al, Nature 2023
•    Che et al, EMBO Reports 2022
•    Oedekoven et al, Stem Cell Reports 2021
•    Nestorowa et al, Blood 2016
•    Wilson et al, Cell Stem Cell 2015

Also check out our recent review: Jassinskaja et al, Blood 2023.

Novel methods to track and quantify blood stem cells in people

Somatic mutations occur in normal human cells over the course of life, are inherited stably by their descendants, and can be reliably detected by DNA sequencing.  Since the vast majority have no phenotypic effect, they can also serve as excellent clonal markers to determine relatedness of cell types and to estimate population size. In addition to exploring the route that various cancers take to developing over time (see above), we are also interested in using this technique to track and quantify stem cells in a range of other haematological settings, including tracking stem cells in gene therapy trials for sickle cell disease.

Key publications

•    Spencer-Chapman & Cull et al., Nature Medicine 2023
•    Machado et al, Nature 2022
•    Lee-Six et al, Nature 2018

Also check out recent reviews on the technique: Lee-Six and Kent, Exp. Hematol 2020, Cull et al., Blood 2024

Clonal evolution of cancers from single cells

The early stages of cancer evolution from single cells are observable in haematological malignancies such as myeloproliferative neoplasms and bone marrow failure syndromes. Here we utilise mouse models and primary patient samples to study the molecular and cellular function of mutant versus non-mutant cells to understand clonal competition and to identify potential new therapeutic targets. We also study the role of the immune cell microenvironment in disease evolution, including very new work on a newly described disorder VEXAS.

Key publications

•    Belmonte et al., Experimental Hematology 2024
•    Al Hakim et al., HemaSphere 2023
•    Obro et al, HemaSphere 2020
•    Shepherd et al, Blood 2018
•    Ortmann et al, New England Journal of Medicine 2015

Physical and mechanical biology

The newest area of our lab explores the physical biology of stem cells including the development of new tools/approaches for expanding blood stem cells outside the body. We are exploring the physical and quantitative biology of stem cells through mechanical signalling, mathematical modelling, and the construction of 3D microenvironments and microfluidic devices. In particular, we are interested in understanding the mechanical differences between normal and leukaemic cells and how these might be manipulated for therapeutic benefit.  We have also invented a new technology (ForCell) that we are looking to commercialise in the near future.

Research group(s)

Current lab members

• Postdoctoral fellows: Alyssa Cull, Rasha Rezk, Maria Jassinskaja, Leah Etheridge, Maorong Xie
• Graduate students: Fiona Bain, Lily Cabrera-Cosme, Monika Gonka, Razan Alhefzi, Nathan Hall, Rachel Popplewell, Charlotte Titterington-Colman.
• Research Technicians: Joanna Milek, Alex Hogg, Ellie Bennett, Sophie Davies, Sam Elberfeld.

Key collaborators

Internal: Ian Hitchcock, Katherine Bridge, Bill Grey, Adele Fielding, Jillian Barlow, Eve Roman, Alex Smith, Will Brackenbury, Dawn Coverley, Andrew Holding, James Hewitson, Dimitris Lagos, Dave Boucher, Peter O'Toole, Steve Johnson, Thomas Krauss.

External: Peter Campbell, Satoshi Yamazaki, David Williams, Julie Makani, Yosuke Tanaka, Adam Wilkinson, Sinisa Savic, Darren Newton, Cristina Lo Celso, Claus Nerlov, Andrew McKenzie, Brian Huntly, Tony Green, Elisa Laurenti, Alan Warren, Neal Young, Dan Bauer, and Bertie Gottgens.

Current opportunities

PhD Studentships for a 2025 start

1.    Fully funded MRC Dimen project:  Divide and Conquer: Unravelling how blood cancers take over using state-of-the-art technologies.  (email david.kent@york.ac.uk if interested)
2.    External scholarship or self-funded students can always touch base to see if there are openings.

Masters by Research Studentships for a 2025 start

1 year programmes - please send a CV and short email of interest to david.kent@york.ac.uk 

Summer students and interns for a 2025 start

Please send a CV and short email of interest to david.kent@york.ac.uk – also check out the funded opportunities from Generation Research, our flagship widening access programme.

Finally, our lab is always interested in recruiting talented and motivated scientists - please do not hesitate to get in touch at david.kent@york.ac.uk. 

Lab PDRA, Technician and PGR Alumni

• PDRAs: Maria Jassinskaja, Juan Rubio-Lara, Craig McDonald, Nina Øbro
• PhDs: James Che, Caroline Oedekoven, Miriam Belmonte, Daniel Bode, Mairi Shepherd
• Techs:  Megan Davies, Anna Clay, Sandra Pietsch, Grace Vasey.
• +GenerationResearch students: Will Broster, Sophia Saragoudas, Layan Al-Hariri

Teaching

Undergraduate

‌

My teaching is heavily informed by our research efforts in Genetics, Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, Gene Therapy, and Cancer. In addition to this, I have a long history of public engagement and outreach including the creation of The Black Hole, a website and blog that provides information on and analysis of issues related to the education and training of scientists. I was also course director for Hematology 101, a series of web-based lectures on the basics of blood stem cells and their clinical applications.

‌I currently teach on Haematology & Immunology in Health & Disease - BIO00085H, Human Genetics - BIO00076H, and Group Research Project - BIO00088H. I have also given lectures at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London in the areas of stem cell biology, blood cancers, and regenerative medicine. 

‌

My tutorials are designed to have a high level of participant interaction and a strong focus on building written and oral communication skills. Small, focused and regular group discussion is an excellent way to encourage new lines of thinking that reach beyond the core curriculum.

‌

We are always interested in hearing from bright and motivated young scientists and the interdisciplinary nature of many of our projects means that students from many different areas can find something to pursue in our lab. Overall, we focus on blood stem cell biology but our work encompasses cellular and molecular biology, cancer evolution, mouse models, physical and mechanical biology, computational biology and bioinformatics.