Sarah Aitken
@s-j-aitken.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Pathology @yalepathology.bsky.social and #CMCO @yalecancer.bsky.social • @cancerresearchuk.org Clinician Scientist & Pathologist @cam.ac.uk • www.aitkenlab.org • #GenomicPathology • posts≠employer
Today was our first Yale Pathology Department retreat - with Klaske, Barbara, Jacob, and Vanessa (we missed you Tanuja!) Great to present our work with a poster and two talks, share ideas, and meet new people
🇨🇦🇪🇸🇬🇧🇳🇱🇺🇸🌎
@yalepathology.bsky.social @bhernando.bsky.social
🇨🇦🇪🇸🇬🇧🇳🇱🇺🇸🌎
@yalepathology.bsky.social @bhernando.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Today was our first Yale Pathology Department retreat - with Klaske, Barbara, Jacob, and Vanessa (we missed you Tanuja!) Great to present our work with a poster and two talks, share ideas, and meet new people
🇨🇦🇪🇸🇬🇧🇳🇱🇺🇸🌎
@yalepathology.bsky.social @bhernando.bsky.social
🇨🇦🇪🇸🇬🇧🇳🇱🇺🇸🌎
@yalepathology.bsky.social @bhernando.bsky.social
A trio of talks this week: Grand Rounds @jhu.edu yesterday. Then @bhernando.bsky.social (who has only been here a fortnight!) and I gave talks at the NYC Genome Integrity Discussion group @rockefeller.edu. Thanks for inviting us Agata Smogorzewska and Philipp Oberdoerffer
@yalepathology.bsky.social
@yalepathology.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 8:46 PM
A trio of talks this week: Grand Rounds @jhu.edu yesterday. Then @bhernando.bsky.social (who has only been here a fortnight!) and I gave talks at the NYC Genome Integrity Discussion group @rockefeller.edu. Thanks for inviting us Agata Smogorzewska and Philipp Oberdoerffer
@yalepathology.bsky.social
@yalepathology.bsky.social
🥳 Today we welcome Dr Bárbara Hernando @bhernando.bsky.social to the #AitkenLab @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social
Bárbara joins us from #CNIO as part of her @caixaresearch.bsky.social Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowship
@yalepathology.bsky.social @yalecancer.bsky.social @cniostopcancer.bsky.social
Bárbara joins us from #CNIO as part of her @caixaresearch.bsky.social Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowship
@yalepathology.bsky.social @yalecancer.bsky.social @cniostopcancer.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
🥳 Today we welcome Dr Bárbara Hernando @bhernando.bsky.social to the #AitkenLab @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social
Bárbara joins us from #CNIO as part of her @caixaresearch.bsky.social Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowship
@yalepathology.bsky.social @yalecancer.bsky.social @cniostopcancer.bsky.social
Bárbara joins us from #CNIO as part of her @caixaresearch.bsky.social Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowship
@yalepathology.bsky.social @yalecancer.bsky.social @cniostopcancer.bsky.social
Yesterday was our fourth lab-iversary 🥳
In the last year we moved to the US, welcomed new lab members at Yale and in Cambridge, mastered Transatlantic hybrid lab life, posted preprints, published others, submitted grants... Looking forward to what year five has in store!
@yalepathology.bsky.social
In the last year we moved to the US, welcomed new lab members at Yale and in Cambridge, mastered Transatlantic hybrid lab life, posted preprints, published others, submitted grants... Looking forward to what year five has in store!
@yalepathology.bsky.social
September 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Yesterday was our fourth lab-iversary 🥳
In the last year we moved to the US, welcomed new lab members at Yale and in Cambridge, mastered Transatlantic hybrid lab life, posted preprints, published others, submitted grants... Looking forward to what year five has in store!
@yalepathology.bsky.social
In the last year we moved to the US, welcomed new lab members at Yale and in Cambridge, mastered Transatlantic hybrid lab life, posted preprints, published others, submitted grants... Looking forward to what year five has in store!
@yalepathology.bsky.social
A great week in Lisbon at the European Association for Cancer Research 2025 Congress. Thank you @helloeacr.bsky.social for the #WomenInLeadership Workshop, the opportunity to present our #ProfferedPaper, and to talk science with collaborators (and make new ones!)
#EACR2025
#EACR2025
June 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A great week in Lisbon at the European Association for Cancer Research 2025 Congress. Thank you @helloeacr.bsky.social for the #WomenInLeadership Workshop, the opportunity to present our #ProfferedPaper, and to talk science with collaborators (and make new ones!)
#EACR2025
#EACR2025
🧩DNA Lesions Piece Together Impossible Trees🧩
This was a fun piece to write (and illustrate!) with Dr Claudia Arnedo Pac about @mikespencerchapman.bsky.social and co’s recent @nature.com paper. Thank you for the invitation, Maria @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
This was a fun piece to write (and illustrate!) with Dr Claudia Arnedo Pac about @mikespencerchapman.bsky.social and co’s recent @nature.com paper. Thank you for the invitation, Maria @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
April 2, 2025 at 9:17 PM
🧩DNA Lesions Piece Together Impossible Trees🧩
This was a fun piece to write (and illustrate!) with Dr Claudia Arnedo Pac about @mikespencerchapman.bsky.social and co’s recent @nature.com paper. Thank you for the invitation, Maria @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
This was a fun piece to write (and illustrate!) with Dr Claudia Arnedo Pac about @mikespencerchapman.bsky.social and co’s recent @nature.com paper. Thank you for the invitation, Maria @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
3/n
👨🔬 Postdoctoral Associate - Cancer Biology and Genomics
🧫 genome stability, 🔬 cancer biology, 🧬somatic mutations
🍕 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🤝 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
👨🔬 Postdoctoral Associate - Cancer Biology and Genomics
🧫 genome stability, 🔬 cancer biology, 🧬somatic mutations
🍕 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🤝 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
March 26, 2025 at 3:19 PM
3/n
👨🔬 Postdoctoral Associate - Cancer Biology and Genomics
🧫 genome stability, 🔬 cancer biology, 🧬somatic mutations
🍕 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🤝 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
👨🔬 Postdoctoral Associate - Cancer Biology and Genomics
🧫 genome stability, 🔬 cancer biology, 🧬somatic mutations
🍕 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🤝 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
2/n
👩💻 Postdoctoral Associate – Computational Cancer Biology
🧬 somatic mutations, genome stability, cancer biology
🎓 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🙌 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
👩💻 Postdoctoral Associate – Computational Cancer Biology
🧬 somatic mutations, genome stability, cancer biology
🎓 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🙌 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
March 26, 2025 at 3:19 PM
2/n
👩💻 Postdoctoral Associate – Computational Cancer Biology
🧬 somatic mutations, genome stability, cancer biology
🎓 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🙌 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
👩💻 Postdoctoral Associate – Computational Cancer Biology
🧬 somatic mutations, genome stability, cancer biology
🎓 full details: postdocs.yale.edu/postdoctoral...
🙌 lead and collaborate on multiple projects
🌎 based at CMCO, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven CT, USA
🗓️ apply now (rolling review)
Just a scientist, doing some standing, visiting the state Capitol for the first time…
#standupforscience #standupforscience2025 #hartford
@standupforscience.bsky.social
#standupforscience #standupforscience2025 #hartford
@standupforscience.bsky.social
March 7, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Just a scientist, doing some standing, visiting the state Capitol for the first time…
#standupforscience #standupforscience2025 #hartford
@standupforscience.bsky.social
#standupforscience #standupforscience2025 #hartford
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. I’m very grateful to work with these two brilliant women in our team of computational, experimental, and clinician scientists @cambridgeuni.bsky.social and @yalecancer.bsky.social
🌎🇪🇺🇪🇸🇬🇧 #WomenInScience #womeninSTEM #IDWGS
🌎🇪🇺🇪🇸🇬🇧 #WomenInScience #womeninSTEM #IDWGS
February 11, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. I’m very grateful to work with these two brilliant women in our team of computational, experimental, and clinician scientists @cambridgeuni.bsky.social and @yalecancer.bsky.social
🌎🇪🇺🇪🇸🇬🇧 #WomenInScience #womeninSTEM #IDWGS
🌎🇪🇺🇪🇸🇬🇧 #WomenInScience #womeninSTEM #IDWGS
I’ve had the privilege of working with countless people over many years on this project: doing (thousands) of experiments in the Odom lab @cruk-ci.bsky.social, before joining forces with @paulflicek.bsky.social @nlbigas.bsky.social @csemple.bsky.social - and of course @mstaylor.bsky.social.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
I’ve had the privilege of working with countless people over many years on this project: doing (thousands) of experiments in the Odom lab @cruk-ci.bsky.social, before joining forces with @paulflicek.bsky.social @nlbigas.bsky.social @csemple.bsky.social - and of course @mstaylor.bsky.social.
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Finally, the persistence of DNA damage through multiple cellular generations lets us measure the clonal dynamics of early tumour development. Genetic background had a huge effect on subclonal selection within tumours and corresponds with tumour susceptibility and growth rate.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Finally, the persistence of DNA damage through multiple cellular generations lets us measure the clonal dynamics of early tumour development. Genetic background had a huge effect on subclonal selection within tumours and corresponds with tumour susceptibility and growth rate.
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Taking these results together, we found that there is strong interaction between genetic background, specific driver mutations, and the occurrence of oncogenic whole genome duplication (WGD).
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Taking these results together, we found that there is strong interaction between genetic background, specific driver mutations, and the occurrence of oncogenic whole genome duplication (WGD).
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Regardless of genetic background, almost all tumours have a single MAPK driver mutation, resulting in consistent oncogenic perturbation of gene expression. However, there are strain biases for oncogenic mutations, which may be partially accounted for by immune editing.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Regardless of genetic background, almost all tumours have a single MAPK driver mutation, resulting in consistent oncogenic perturbation of gene expression. However, there are strain biases for oncogenic mutations, which may be partially accounted for by immune editing.
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Strikingly, by leveraging our previous discovery of #LesionSegregation we identified that the germline differences have a profound effect on whole genome duplication during oncogenesis.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Strikingly, by leveraging our previous discovery of #LesionSegregation we identified that the germline differences have a profound effect on whole genome duplication during oncogenesis.
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We analysed the tumour genomes, transcriptomes, and tissue architecture, and linked these to the starting epigenome and transcriptome of their tissue of origin. WGS showed that genetic background influences genome stability, subtly impacting the rate and spectrum of small mutations.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
We analysed the tumour genomes, transcriptomes, and tissue architecture, and linked these to the starting epigenome and transcriptome of their tissue of origin. WGS showed that genetic background influences genome stability, subtly impacting the rate and spectrum of small mutations.
[4/12]
[4/12]
By implementing Gould’s thought experiment, we re-ran tumour evolution hundreds of times in diverse mouse strains, capturing genetic variation comparable to and beyond human populations. We found cancer susceptibility *is* shaped by germline genetic variation.
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
By implementing Gould’s thought experiment, we re-ran tumour evolution hundreds of times in diverse mouse strains, capturing genetic variation comparable to and beyond human populations. We found cancer susceptibility *is* shaped by germline genetic variation.
[3/12]
[3/12]
Human cancers are heterogeneous. So are our inherited germline differences, our dynamic lives, and our environments. Despite this, many biomedical and translational studies assume (or maybe just hope?) the trajectory of a cancer is predictable. So, we asked whether or not this is the case?
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January 15, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Human cancers are heterogeneous. So are our inherited germline differences, our dynamic lives, and our environments. Despite this, many biomedical and translational studies assume (or maybe just hope?) the trajectory of a cancer is predictable. So, we asked whether or not this is the case?
[2/12]
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First week at Yale Cancer Center: check. Thanks to everyone at #CMCO - especially Markus, Coraline, Jeff, David, Rick, and Lars - for such a warm welcome; Yale Pathology and BIDS for interesting ideas; and so many blue skies 🦋
December 6, 2024 at 11:53 PM
First week at Yale Cancer Center: check. Thanks to everyone at #CMCO - especially Markus, Coraline, Jeff, David, Rick, and Lars - for such a warm welcome; Yale Pathology and BIDS for interesting ideas; and so many blue skies 🦋
Thank you to the Aitken Lab and everyone else at the MRC Toxicology Unit for the bittersweet farewells (until next time) this week. So many thoughtful words, kind gifts… and the giant carrot cake 🧡
November 15, 2024 at 4:18 PM
Thank you to the Aitken Lab and everyone else at the MRC Toxicology Unit for the bittersweet farewells (until next time) this week. So many thoughtful words, kind gifts… and the giant carrot cake 🧡