Dr Kelley is interested in identifying and evaluating new prognostic biomarkers in lymphoma and leukemia using flow cytometry, immunohistochemisty and proteomic techniques.   Since many of these biomarkers are inappropriately activated enzymes involved in cell signaling he is interested in evaluating their functional role in the signaling pathways that contribute to the development of a hematologic neoplasm.  The ultimate goal is to give the treating physician the ability to tailor therapy to the patient based on their individual risk.  Furthermore, new therapies may be designed which target these enzymes and pathways.  An additional interest is in the immunology of the lymphoma microenvironment.  Dr Kelley and colleagues have shown that a particular T cell signature in the Hodgkin lymphoma tumor microenvironment is predictive of clinical outcome.   Patients with tumors which contain higher numbers of regulatory T cells, as identified by expression of FOXP3, and lower numbers of activated cytotoxic T/NK cells based upon expression of granzyme B, have a significantly longer survival.  Based upon these findings, additional studies of the interactions between lymphoma cells and the immune infiltrate are ongoing.