Cell fate decisions governing the differentiation of neuronal cells must be tightly regulated in order to prevent diseases including cancer.  Dr. Ali’s research focuses on understanding how defective transcriptional programmes perturb neuronal differentiation, specifically during the development of neuroblastoma – one of the most common cancers to occur in infants. He is also investigating whether alterations in the transcriptome are driving the heterogeneity of neuroblastomas seen in the clinic. In sum, his research programme aims to identify novel transcriptional targets that can be exploited for precision medicine strategies in patients with neuroblastoma.