The mission of the PHO Research Lab Ghent is to improve outcomes and long-term quality-of-life of children diagnosed with cancer, through clinical-translational laboratory research, participating in clinical studies and collecting relevant biomaterials (biobanking). The main areas of research within the my lab include (1) the identification of (epi)genetics factors predisposing to childhood cancer; (2) identify novel therapeutic targets in acute myeloid leukemia and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia through integration of different `omics` levels; (3) development and validation of laboratory tests allowing the optimization of therapies/drug monitoring; (4) development of modified and safer versions of existing therapeutics with a specific focus on asparaginase; (5) evaluating the role of liquid biopsies in the diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric cancers; (6) the development of patient-derived xenograft models for evaluation of novel therapeutics.