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Childhood leukemia happens when certain blood cells grow out of control. Dr. Wang'ondu and colleagues will focus on a protein called IKZF1, a transcription factor that helps young immune cells develop normally. In some children, IKZF1 is altered in a way that disrupts this process and makes leukemia more likely to form. Children whose leukemia has IKZF1 changes often have worse outcomes with current treatments. Dr. Wang'ondu will study how a specific change called IKZF1 N159Y disrupts normal immune cell functions and how Dr. Wang'ondu and team can target it with new types of drugs. Dr. Wang'ondu will work to understand how changes in transcription factors like IKZF1 cause leukemia and will help develop more effective treatments for children affected by these changes.