In May 2025, Hanna Thorsson defended her doctoral thesis, “Single-cell Sequencing of Acute Leukemia” at Lund University. In October, she was awarded “Best Hematology Thesis of the Year” (Årets bästa avhandling i hematologi) by Svensk förening för hematologi in collaboration with Blodcancerförbundet.
What motivated you to focus your research on blood cells and blood cancer?
“I have always had a strong interest in understanding and solving problems in oncology. Blood cancer offers a unique model for cancer research, as blood and bone marrow are more accessible than solid organs. This has allowed research in the field to drive important breakthroughs in our understanding of how cancer develops, and these insights, in turn, lead to new and innovative treatments.”
Can you briefly describe the key findings?
“My thesis highlights the power of single-cell sequencing, combined with advanced bioinformatic analyses, to map the cellular and molecular environment of acute leukemia. This has led to a deeper understanding of the disease, contributed to more refined diagnostic methods, and identified new potential therapeutic targets.”
What’s next – will you continue your research in Lund or explore opportunities elsewhere?
“For now, I’m continuing my research in Thoas Fioretos' research group at the Department of Clinical Genetics here at Lund University, but many exciting opportunities lie ahead.”