Varkey Lab

Ashley Varkey, DO

Research Assistant Member, Center for Discovery and Innovation
Pediatric Hematologist/ Oncologist, HMH Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital

Ashley Varkey is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist dedicated to advancing treatments for childhood cancers. She completed her fellowship training at HMH Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. This training provided her with a strong foundation in clinical care and sparked her interest in translational research.

In July 2023, Dr. Varkey joined the Zakrzewski Laboratory at the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery & Innovation (CDI) to pursue her research interests. Her primary focus is on pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a particularly aggressive form of blood cancer in children. Her work is centered on the development of novel immunotherapies, aiming to harness the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. A significant aspect of her research involves the exploration of B-cell maturation antigen(BCMA) as a new and promising target for immunotherapy in AML. This innovative approach seeks to identify unique markers on cancer cells that can be targeted without harming healthy tissues. She has also worked with biotechnology company, Vitruviae, on identifying novel sugar and lipid signatures present on tumor cells to serve as targets for new immunotherapies. This cutting-edge therapy is designed to direct the patient’s T-cells to attack cancer cells that display specific markers, such as Man9 and PS, while avoiding healthy cells.

She was awarded the Hyundai Young Investigator Grant from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels program. This substantial grant provides significant funding for the continuation of her vital work in developing new and more effective treatments for pediatric AML. Through her dedication to both clinical practice and pioneering research, Dr. Varkey hopes to make a lasting impact on the lives of children with cancer.