Dr. Treon’s research interests are focused on understanding the genetic basis and pathogenesis of Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), and the development of targeted therapeutics for this malignancy. Using whole genome sequencing, the Treon laboratory discovered the highly prevalent MYD88 L265P and CXCR4 WHIM mutations in WM, permitting the development of diagnostic molecular testing and targeted treatments for WM. Signaling work performed in the Treon laboratory established the critical role of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) as a key mediator of MYD88 signaling in WM cells. This discovery enabled the first ever breakthrough designation by the U.S. FDA for the accelerated approval of the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib for the treatment of WM. Dr. Treon served as the principal investigator of the pivotal trial that supported the regulatory approval of ibrutinib by the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency for the treatment of WM. He has also been the principal investigator for other clinical trials that resulted in the adoption of many novel therapeutics and combination therapies for the treatment of WM.

Dr. Treon has published over 250 original articles, reviews, reports, and book chapters that have appeared in many high impact journals and text books. He has been a keynote speaker and lecturer on the genomic basis, pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment of WM at prestigious national congresses, international conferences, hospital grand rounds, tumor boards, regional medical society conferences, workshops, and patient meetings. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, European Society of Hematology, and the British Society of Hematology, and has given “Meet the Professor”, Educational Session, as well as presentations on original research at the annual meetings of these associations. Dr. Treon is also the principal organizer of the International Workshops on WM which have served as the principal forum for the exchange of novel scientific and clinical data on WM. He has been a mentor to physicians and scientists at the Bing Center for WM, and is also a regular lecturer at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals where he teaches medical students, interns, residents and fellows on the topic of plasma cell malignancies.