Manchester Neuroscience Seminar Series - Dr Kenny Yu, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
| Dates: | 30 July 2025 |
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| Times: | 14:00 - 15:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health |
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| Who is it for: | University staff |
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| Speaker: | Kenny Yu |
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Please join the Division of Neuroscience, Wednesday 30 July 2025, for the Manchester Neuroscience Seminar Series, the speaker will be Dr Kenny Yu from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
This seminar will be hosted by Professor Omar Pathmanaban.
When: Wednesday, 30 July 2025 | 14:00 – 15:00
Where: Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
All are welcome
Title: “A pathogenic subpopulation of glioma associated macrophages linked to glioma progression”
Abstract: Malignant gliomas follow two distinct natural histories: de novo high grade tumors such as glioblastoma, or lower grade tumors with a propensity to transform into high grade disease. Despite differences in tumor genotype, both entities converge on a common histologically aggressive phenotype, and the basis for this progression is unknown. Glioma associated macrophages (GAM) have been implicated in this process, however GAMs are ontologically and transcriptionally diverse, rendering the identification and isolation of pathogenic subpopulations challenging. Since macrophage contextual gene programs are orchestrated by transcription factors acting on cis-acting promoters and enhancers in gene regulatory networks (GRN), we hypothesized that functional subpopulations of GAMs can be resolved through GRN inference. Patient derived IDH mutant and wildtype gliomas and control normal brain samples were collected for single cell RNA +ATAC sequencing to derive GRNs. Transcription factor network analysis identified cell surface markers to isolate subpopulations for downstream functional assays, with tissue, in vitro and in vivo correlates. We term these cells malignancy associated GAMs (mGAMs). mGAMs are pro-invasive, pro-angiogenic, pro-proliferative, and possess immunosuppressive properties. These cells play a pivotal role in glioma progression and represent a potential therapeutic target in human high-grade glioma.
Speaker Bio: Kenny Yu is a neurosurgeon-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He completed his medical training at Imperial College London then neurosurgical residency in the North West in the United Kingdom and obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester in glioma associated macrophages, and was awarded a National Institute of Health Research (UK) clinical lectureship and starter grant by the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was subsequently awarded the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Travelling Fellowship to pursue post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Peter Dirks at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. After obtaining his FRCS, he went on to complete a research and clinical subspecialty fellowship in neurosurgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before joining the faculty in 2021. He currently leads a subgroup within the neurosurgical oncology laboratories at MSKCC looking at glioma-immune interactions, and has been closely involved with the planning and execution of clinical and scientific GBM TeamLab project for Break Through Cancer and was awarded the David Livingstone Prize by the Break Through Cancer Foundation in 2024.
Speaker
Kenny Yu
Role: Dr
Organisation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).
Travel and Contact Information
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Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
Michael Smith Building
Manchester
