Joanna Gell, M.D.
Research Scientist
My research focuses on germ cell tumors (GCTs), a tumor type that occurs in pediatric and young adults. My focus in GCTs is around the developmental origins of GCTs and identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Additionally, I have an interest in utilizing pluripotent stem cells to model disease.
I am a physician-scientist, that clinically cares for children and young adults with cancer and blood disorders at Connecticut Children's. I completed my fellowship in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the Mattel Children's Hospital at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). It was at UCLA that I started my research in GCTs, using stem cells to model to the cell of origin for GCTs, the primordial germ cell (PGC). I continue to use this model and others to evaluate how alternations in normal germ cell development lead to disease states, such as cancer. Additionally, as a physician-scientist, I mentor rotating pediatric hematology-oncology fellows. I also bring my knowledge of stem cells and mouse models to other projects in the Lau lab.
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Featured ArticleMarch 28, 2023Empowering the Rare Disease Community
Joanna Gell, MD, research scientist at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and pediatric oncologist, has been appointed to a newly-established Connecticut Rare Disease Advisory Council (RDAC).