Researcher | Research Overview
Mark Fleming's research is focused on determining how erythroid cells acquire and utilize iron. Researchers in his lab are pursuing two general approaches: Postionally cloning and characterizing the genes underlying several mouse hereditary defects in erythroid iron metabolism. Using targeted mutagenesis in the mouse to study proteins implicated in the pathogenesis in a group of bone marrow disorders known as sideroblastic anemias. In those disorders, erythroid precursors develop pathologic iron deposits in mitochondria, which play a unique role in metabolizing iron and heme. He is seeking to characterize proteins responsible for mitochondrial iron import and utilization.
Researcher | Research Background
Mark Fleming earned his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Princeton University in 1987, his doctor of philosophy degree in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford in England in 1990 and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1993. Dr. Fleming did his residency in anatomic pathology and fellowship in hematopathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He also did a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Hematology/Oncology here at Children's. Dr. Fleming was named a Pew Fellow in Biomedical Research.