Leonard Zon's laboratory focuses on the use of the zebrafish model for research into hematopoiesis and as a screen for oncogenic genes and proteins. Zon chose the zebrafish because the zebrafish embryo is completely clear, providing a "real-time" view of all organs and systems as they develop. In addition, the species is extremely fecund--each mother lays 200-300 eggs weekly--and thrifty--a large number of animals can be kept in a relatively small space. Finally, zebrafish have several naturally occuring mutants that mirror human anemias.

The Zon laboratory has:

• Spearheaded the successful effort to sequence the zebrafish genome.


• Isolated and cloned the gene responsible for a congenital anemia.


• Identified a gene--cdx4--which, inconcert with hox, is pivotal in hematopoiesis.


• Created a screens for genetic mutations affecting cell proliferation and cancer susceptibility in the zebrafish and for small molecule suppressors of the cancer-susceptible crb cell cycle mutant.

Leonard Zon received his MD degree from Thomas Jefferson University. He completed an internship and residency at New England Deaconess Hospital and a fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Dr. Zon is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.