Mrinal S. Patnaik, M.B.B.S.

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SUMMARY

Mrinal S. Patnaik, M.B.B.S., is a physician-scientist at Mayo Clinic whose research interests include understanding the development of blood cancers such as chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute leukemia. Dr. Patnaik studies genetic and epigenetic changes that can be seen in the blood and bone marrow of people with these diseases. Dr. Patnaik also studies precancerous changes in the blood and bone marrow, a condition called clonal hematopoiesis, and why these precancerous conditions eventually progress to blood cancers.

Focus areas

• Clonal hematopoiesis. Dr. Patnaik is part of a dedicated team of physicians that sees patients with clonal hematopoiesis. With access to a biospecimens repository for these patients, his lab team is carrying out genetic and epigenetic studies, including single-cell sequencing, to better understand why clonal hematopoiesis progresses to blood cancers.
• Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Dr. Patnaik directs a large and robust chronic myelomonocytic leukemia research effort, where preclinical drug development and genetic and epigenetic studies are conducted to understand disease pathogenesis. He is the principal investigator on several clinical trials and has established preclinical models to study drug development for this disease.
• Epigenomics Development Laboratory and Recharge Center. As the scientific director for the lab, Dr. Patnaik works with his team to develop single-cell sequencing techniques to better understand the genome and epigenome in cancer and other conditions. The epigenomics development lab, which is part of the Center for Individualized Medicine, has expertise in single-cell DNA, RNA and chromatin accessibility studies. Read more about the lab.
• Telomere biology disorders. Dr. Patnaik runs a large clinical and research effort to assess problems associated with shortened telomere lengths, with a main focus on understanding how blood cancer develops in people with telomere biology disorders.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Patnaik's research focuses on methods to interrupt the early stages of cancer development before overt neoplasia occurs. By using high-fidelity single-sequencing techniques, Dr. Patnaik and his team are working to define therapeutic vulnerabilities that can lead to clinical trials and effective drug development. He also is helping organize efforts to implement comprehensive clinical genomic sequencing for patients, including whole-exome, transcriptome and whole-genome sequencing.

Professional highlights

• Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center:
  • Enterprise co-leader, Cancer Individualized Medicine, 2022-present.
  • Chair, Acute Leukemia and Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms Disease-Oriented Group, 2017-present.
• Scientific director, Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 2020-present.
• Founding member, MDS/MPN International Working Group, The Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation, 2017-present.
• Clinical Trials Award, Clinical Research Coordinator Executive Council, Mayo Clinic, 2024.