Our Research
Precision diagnostics and biology-driven therapies for pediatric and AYA gliomas.
Core Research Directions
The Hawkins Lab conducts translational research focused on pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) gliomas, spanning discovery biology through clinical implementation. Our work combines molecular pathology, multi-omics, functional genomics, and precision diagnostics to understand why these tumors arise, how they evolve, and how they can be more effectively treated.
Our research is tightly integrated with patient care, ensuring that discoveries made in the laboratory directly inform diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for children and young adults with brain tumors.
What do we study?
Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children.
At The Hospital for Sick Children, the Hawkins Lab studies why these tumors develop and how we can treat them more effectively.
We focus on pediatric and AYA gliomas — from low-grade gliomas (LGG), which can sometimes become aggressive, to high-grade gliomas (pHGG), including diffuse midline glioma (DMG/DIPG), which remain among the most challenging childhood cancers.
Our work helped uncover key histone mutations such as H3K27M and H3.3G34R, transforming global understanding of pediatric glioma biology and highlighting the role of epigenetic dysregulation. Through international collaboration and tissue-based research, we aim to translate biological discovery into better, more precise therapies for children and young adults.
For additional information on some of the projects currently ongoing in our lab, please see the links below.