Mirazul  Islam
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Mirazul Islam, PhD

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About Me

I am an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Trainee in the laboratory of Robert Coffey at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where I study how tissue organization, stem cell dynamics, and clonal evolution shape cancer initiation and progression. My research sits at the intersection of cancer genomics, stem cell biology, evolutionary biology, and systems biology, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer and the transition from precancer to invasive disease. My research has been published in Nature (2024) and Cell (2026, in press).

I have received an NCI Early K99/R00 impact score in the 8th percentile, as well as the SPORE Career Enhancement Program Award, VICC Pilot Project Award, and DDRC Pilot Project Award. Currently, I am in academic job market and looking for an independent faculty position with the goal of establishing a research program that integrates single-cell genomics, computational modeling, and experimental lineage tracing to uncover fundamental principles of tissue organization and regeneration. I am also passionate about mentoring, academic service, and fostering an inclusive research environment.

I completed my PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University (Ken Lau’s Lab), where I developed innovative approaches to unbiased lineage tracing in mammalian systems. My work has been published in leading journals, including Nature (Islam et al. 2024), and has contributed to advancing our understanding of stem cell dynamics in both homeostasis and disease contexts.

I have pursued training opportunities at several prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Broad Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Academia Sinica in Taiwan, the University of Malaya in Malaysia, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Michigan, and Vanderbilt University. I also have experience of being part of large consortiums, including TCGA and HTAN, along with other collaborative projects.

In summary, my research trajectory has centered on pioneering experimental and computational approaches to study cancer progression at single-cell resolution. My future research program will leverage evolutionary principles to map colorectal cancer progression and lineage plasticity, with the ultimate goal of identifying early detection strategies and targeted interventions.

Contact Information:

Email: md.mirazul.islam@vanderbilt.edu. Location: Nashville, TN, USA.

General Research Interests

  • Single-cell lineage and temporal recording

  • Cancer biology

  • Intestinal stem cells

  • Developmental biology

Selected Publications

  1. Temporal recording of mammalian development and precancer. Islam M, Yang Y, Simmons AJ, Shah VM, Pavan MK, Xu Y, Tasneem N, Chen Z, Trinh LT, Molina P, Ramirez-Solano MA, Sadien I, Dou J, Chen K, Magnuson MA, Rathmell J, Macara IG, Winton DJ, Liu Q, Zafar H, Kalhor R, Church GM, Shrubsole MJ, Coffey RJ#, Lau KS#. Nature. 2024.

  2. Scalable single-cell pooled CRISPR screens with conventional knockout vector libraries. Islam M, Yang Y, Simmons AJ, Xu Y, Fisher EL, Deng W, Grieb BC, Molina P, Caestecker CD, Ramirez-Solano MA, Liu Q, Tansey WP, Macara IG, Rathmell JC, Coffey RJ, Lau KS#. Under review, BioRxiv. 2024

  3. Unbiased recording of clonal potency reveals species-specific regulation of mouse and human intestinal stem cells. Islam M#, Bechard M, Yang Y, Simmons AJ, Xu Y, Higginbotham J, Zhao P, Cao Z, Tasneem N, Glass S, Markham N, Revetta R, Ramirez M, Liu Q, Franklin J, Lau KS#, Coffey RJ#. Cell (in press). 2026.

  4. Circulating cytokines and small molecules follow distinct expression patterns in acute myeloid leukemia.. Islam M#, Mohamed EH, Esa E, Kamaluddin NR, Zain SM, Yusoff YM, Assenov Y, Mohamed Z#, Zakaria Z. British Journal of Cancer. 2017

  5. Use of Single Cell -omic Technologies to Study the Gastrointestinal Tract and Diseases, From Single Cell Identities to Patient Features Islam M, Chen B, Spraggins JM, Kelly RT, Lau KS#. Gastroenterology. 2020.

  6. Differential Analysis of Genetic, Epigenetic, and Cytogenetic Abnormalities in AML. Islam M, Mohamed Z#, and Assenov Y#. International Journal of Genomics. 2017.

Find my full publication list here.

Patent

  1. SINGLE-CELL LINEAGE TRACKING, TEMPORAL RECORDING, AND CRISPR SCREENING PLATFORM. Islam M, Coffey RJ, and Lau S. USPTO. 2024.

Beyond Science

Beyond my scientific achievements, I am deeply committed to education and mentorship. I founded a voluntary organization dedicated to advancing quality science education, developing science content, organizing local Mathematics Olympiads, establishing mobile libraries, and providing leadership training to high school students. I am also an avid reader with a deep interest in philosophy, literature, and the arts, and I enjoy spending time outdoors. My passion for both research and community engagement reflects my dedication to making a lasting impact in science and society.