Address:
Division of Oncology
Mail Stop 8007-0029-11
Washington University
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome
- Acute and Chronic Leukemias
- Hematologic Malignancies
- The origin of myeloid neoplasms such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- How splicing factor gene mutations (e.g. U2AF1, SRSF2, SF3B1) influence the growth of blood cancers
- Rational drug discovery for blood cancers with splicing factor gene mutations
- TP53 signaling in blood cancers
Dr. Tarnawsky studies the origin of myeloid blood cancers such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). His particular focus is on blood cancers driven by splicing factor gene mutations, which occur in up to 50% of MDS and 20% of AML patients. As a post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Matthew Walter, he helped identify that blood cells with splicing factor gene mutations can be preferentially killed by increased activation of TP53. This sensitivity is caused—in part—by mis-splicing of a key TP53 regulator, MDM4. Dr. Tarnawsky’s ongoing work aims to exploit this therapeutic vulnerability to help develop novel treatment options for patients whose blood cancers express splicing factor mutant genes.
Biosketch
Education
- 2025-2022: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Laboratory of Matthew Walter, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- 2025-2021: Fellowship, Hematology & Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
- 2021-2019: Residency, Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- 2019-2011: M.D., Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.,USA
- 2019-2011: Ph.D., Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- 2011-2007: B.Sc., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Academic Positions & Employment
- present-2025: Instructor in Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Genetics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Board Certification
- present-2025: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
- present-2022: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Honors & Awards
- 2025: First Place Oral Presentation, Hematopoietic Development and Malignancy Program Symposium
- 2019: Intern of the Month, Internal Medicine Residency, Washington University, St Louis.
- 2018: Gold Humanism Honor Society
- 2015: 1st place, IUSCC Research Day poster award:
- 2015: IUSCC Merilyn Hester Scholarship