Zohar Sachs
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Credentials
MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
Faculty, Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology (MICaB) Ph.D. Graduate Program
Preceptor, Medical Scientist Training Program (Combined MD/PhD Training Program)
Faculty, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program (BICB)
Steering Committee Member, Medical Scientist Training Program (Combined MD/PhD Training Program)
Member, Masonic Cancer Center, Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program membership
Biography

Bio

Administrator Info
Name: Karen Fitz
Phone: 612-626-5906
Email: fitz0355@umn.edu
Mail: Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
420 Delaware Street SE
MMC 480
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Summary
Dr. Zohar Sachs received her undergraduate degree, a BS in Chemical Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge). She then attended the Tufts Medical School Medical Scientist Training Program (Boston), receiving an MD/PhD. Dr. Sachs completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center (Boston). Dr. Sachs conducted her fellowship in Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. In 2012, she joined the faculty as a physician-scientist.Dr. Sachs leads a basic and translational research lab focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms of self-renewal in acute myelogenous leukemia. Dr. Sachs specializes in the care of patients with hematological malignancies.

Research Summary

Acute myeloid leukemia stem calls
My lab’s goal is to identify molecular mechanisms of leukemia stem cell self-renewal in primary murine and human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Self-renewal is a feature of leukemia stem cells that allow them to recapitulate leukemia and cause relapse. Since AML cells are highly heterogenous, we specialize in the application of single-cell, high throughput technologies (including mass cytometry/CyTOF and single-cell RNA sequencing) to address these research questions.

My earlier work demonstrated that the activated NRAS oncogene mediates self-renewal in AML and that individual leukemia cells vary significantly in their functional status and ability to self-renew (Sachs et al. Blood 2014). Recently, we defined the gene expression profile of AML self-renewal at the single-cell level and used this data to identify a functionally unique subset of leukemia cells with leukemia-repopulating potential. We are using these approaches to identify effective therapeutic targets for this deadly disease.

Clinical Summary

AML; Myeloid malignancies; Leukemia; Bone marrow diseases; Lymphoma; Myelodysplastic syndrome; Multiple Myeloma; Other Plasma Cell Neoplasm

Education

MD, Tufts University School of Medicine

Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements

Clinical Fellowship in Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Fellowship
University of Minnesota Medical School
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Residency in Internal Medicine, Residency
Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts