Rizwan Ahmad

I believe a life should be long. That every child should get the chance to grow up and grow old. But sadly, cancer cuts life short for hundreds of children every year, before they’ve even had a chance to make their mark.

Neuroblastoma is a rare type of childhood cancer that develops in nerve cells, primarily affecting young children and accounting for roughly 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths. Despite advances in treatment, survival rates remain low for high-risk cases, and the disease is often resistant to several conventional and multi-modal therapies. Moreover, 70% of children who survive cancer suffer long-term side effects from their treatment.

Neuroblastoma tumors are immunologically cold with little infiltrating immune cells and conversion to 'hot' tumors is an unmet medical need. Interestingly, tumor DNA repair mechanisms play an important role in shaping anti-tumor immune responses, which can be triggered by CDK12 inhibition. During my PhD, I will evaluate therapeutic targeting of CDK12 in immunocompetent neuroblastoma mouse models and its impact on the tumor micro-environment using a combination of single-cell spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics technologies. This approach will enable high-resolution mapping of tumor-immune cell infiltration, cell-cell interactions and signaling pathways, offering valueable insights for guiding the development of more precise, durable treatments for neuroblastoma patients.

To plan exciting futures, chase their dreams, and live a life that is full of possibilities, we wont stop until every child can live a long, happy and healthy life. In the 1960s cancer was practically a death sentence in children, today, more than eight out of 10 children survive. Together we can and we will cure every child of cancer.
 

• PhD Student since October 2024, Pediatric Precision Oncology Lab.
• Bioinformatician @ Begley Lab, The RNA Institute, UAlbany, State University of New York (2023)
• Master of Science (MS) in Bioinformatics, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. (2023)
• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Bioinformatics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. (2021)
   

• Lab address: Center for Medical Genetics Ghent (CMGG), Medical Research Building 1 (MRB1), 2nd floor, campus UZ Gent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10,  entrance 34, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
• Pediatric Precision Oncology Lab
• Center for Medical Genetics Ghent
• LinkedIn
• ORCID 
• Rizwan Ahmad is involved in
  - Computational Cancer Genomics and Tumour Evolution Lab (CCGG Lab) – Prof. Jimmy Van den Eynden
  - GOA REINFORCE consortium (UGent, VIB)
  - Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
• Rizwan Ahmad is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks