John Cunningham, MD

  • Chair of Pediatrics
    George M. Eisenberg Professor of Pediatrics
    Committee on Molecular Medicine
  • Clinical Interests: Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care, Blood Disorders, Childhood Leukemia, Hemoglobinopathies, Pediatric CAR TCell Therapy, Pediatric Hematology, Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant, Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders, Sickle Cell Disease
  • Research and Scholarly Interests: Erythropoiesis, Gene Regulatory Networks, Hematopoiesis, Hemoglobinopathies, Neural Crest, Sickle Cell Disease, Stem Cell Transplantation, Transcription Factors
  • Websites: Research Network Profile
  • Contact: jmcunningham@uchicago.edu
  • Graduate Programs: Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, UChicago Biosciences

My research focuses on the biology and therapy of hemoglobinopathies, the molecular mechanisms underpinning hematopoiesis and the development of the leukemia stem cell, and the transcriptional mechanisms operative during the development of vertebrate organisms. Research projects include characterization of the key factors modulating developmental erythropoiesis, identification of gene regulatory networks in the neural crest and in neuroblastoma, and the development of allogenic stem cell transplant approaches to sickle cell disease. We collaborate with colleagues in developmental biology, informatics, and cancer biology to ensure that we bring a comprehensive perspective to the fundamental question we seek to solve.

Clinical Hematology Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Hematology
1993

Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine
London, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Fellowship, Hematology
1991

Kings College London
United Kingdom
MSc - Biochemistry
1990

Mater Misericordiae Hospital
Dublin, Ireland
- Hematology Fellowship
1987

Royal College of Physicians
United Kingdom
Membership (MRCP) - Medicine
1986

St Laurences Hospital
Dublin, Ireland
- Residency
1985

University College Dublin
Ireland
MB BCh BAO - Medicine
1982

Outcomes following second allogeneic stem cell transplant for disease relapse after T cell depleted transplant correlate with remission status and remission duration after the first transplant.
Outcomes following second allogeneic stem cell transplant for disease relapse after T cell depleted transplant correlate with remission status and remission duration after the first transplant. Exp Hematol Oncol. 2019; 8:1.
PMID: 30622841

CisPi: a transcriptomic score for disclosing cis-acting disease-associated lincRNAs.
CisPi: a transcriptomic score for disclosing cis-acting disease-associated lincRNAs. Bioinformatics. 2018 09 01; 34(17):i664-i670.
PMID: 30423099

Immune Reconstitution Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with High-Risk Neuroblastoma at the Time of Immunotherapy.
Immune Reconstitution Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with High-Risk Neuroblastoma at the Time of Immunotherapy. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2018 03; 24(3):452-459.
PMID: 29191664

Incorporating genomic, transcriptomic and clinical data: a prognostic and stem cell-like MYC and PRC imbalance in high-risk neuroblastoma.
Incorporating genomic, transcriptomic and clinical data: a prognostic and stem cell-like MYC and PRC imbalance in high-risk neuroblastoma. BMC Syst Biol. 2017 Oct 03; 11(Suppl 5):92.
PMID: 28984200

Exosomes contribute to endothelial integrity and acute chest syndrome risk: Preliminary findings.
Exosomes contribute to endothelial integrity and acute chest syndrome risk: Preliminary findings. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017 Nov; 52(11):1478-1485.
PMID: 28486752

A c-Myc-regulated stem cell-like signature in high-risk neuroblastoma: A systematic discovery (Target neuroblastoma ESC-like signature).
A c-Myc-regulated stem cell-like signature in high-risk neuroblastoma: A systematic discovery (Target neuroblastoma ESC-like signature). Sci Rep. 2017 03 03; 7(1):41.
PMID: 28246384

Establishing a translational genomics infrastructure in pediatric cancer: the GREAT KIDS experience.
Establishing a translational genomics infrastructure in pediatric cancer: the GREAT KIDS experience. Per Med. 2015 Jun; 12(3):221-229.
PMID: 29771652

Seq2pathway: an R/Bioconductor package for pathway analysis of next-generation sequencing data.
Seq2pathway: an R/Bioconductor package for pathway analysis of next-generation sequencing data. Bioinformatics. 2015 Sep 15; 31(18):3043-5.
PMID: 25979472

Systematic computation with functional gene-sets among leukemic and hematopoietic stem cells reveals a favorable prognostic signature for acute myeloid leukemia.
Systematic computation with functional gene-sets among leukemic and hematopoietic stem cells reveals a favorable prognostic signature for acute myeloid leukemia. BMC Bioinformatics. 2015 Mar 24; 16:97.
PMID: 25887548

Computational prognostic indicators for breast cancer.
Computational prognostic indicators for breast cancer. Cancer Manag Res. 2014; 6:301-12.
PMID: 25050076

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Bucksbaum Senior Fellow
Bucksbaum Institute, University of Chicago
2017 - 2019

George M. Eisenberg Professor
University of Chicago
2017 - 2019

Pritzker Professor
University of Chicago
2015 - 2017

Fogarty Fellowship
National Institutes of Health
1991 - 1993

Wellcome Fellowship
Wellcome Trust
1988 - 1991