Dr. O’Connell is an academic hematologist with the Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC). In addition to her clinical work with patients at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, she conducts clinical and translational research in Myeloproliferative and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). She is currently the principal investigator at USC on various clinical trials, the most exciting of which is a Phase I trial utilizing a novel hypomethylating agent for patients with MDS and acute myeloid leukemia. This trial is supported, in part, by a large grant from the Stand Up 2 Cancer organization awarded to a consortium of “dream team” sites involved with epigenetic therapy. Dr. O’Connell has also created a hematology tissue banking protocol at USC which will foster an integrative approach to the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of hematologic disorders, with particular attention to the impact of patient factors such as age and ethnicity. She is most proud of her accolades for patient care, including several consecutive listings as a Southern California Super Doc and Pasadena Top Doctor, and for teaching in the Keck School of Medicine where she is the Associate Director of the Year, Hematology Course.
