Professor Sylvie Freeman DPhil, MBChB, MRCP, FRCPath

Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy
Professor of ImmunoHaematology
Honorary Consultant in Haematology

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 415 8759
Email
s.freeman@bham.ac.uk
Address
Clinical Immunology Service
Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Sylvie Freeman is co-director of the Clinical Immunology Service, leading Immunophenotyping for the diagnosis and monitoring of haematological malignancies. The service provides a unique interface between the University's substantial scientific expertise in immunohaematology and the clinical investigation and management of blood cancers and immunodeficiency in the NHS and for trials.

Research focus is in on predicting treatment resistance in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplasia principally by monitoring residual disease (MRD). She leads flow cytometric MRD detection for the NCRI acute myeloid leukaemia trials and is on the trial management groups of these trials. Sylvie is a member of the UK NCRI AML Working Party, European LeukemiaNet AML MRD Working Group and the International Consortium on Acute Leukemia Committee (American Society of Hematology).

Qualifications

  • Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (Clinical Haematology), 2003
  • FRCPath (Haematology), 2002
  • DPhil, University of Oxford, 1996
  • MRCP (London), 1990
  • MBChB (Hons), University of Birmingham, 1987

Biography

Professor Sylvie Freeman’s clinical interests are in the management of acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplasia and diagnostics of haematological malignancies. This with her background in myeloid research led to her laboratory translation research focus on predicting treatment resistance in these myeloid malignancies.

During Professor Freeman's clinical specialist haematology training at Oxford, she completed a MRC funded DPhil followed by a MRC Clinician Scientist award. She had a clinical attachment at UCL and finished her clinical training in Bristol before being appointed in 2000 as a clinical academic at Birmingham University and honorary consultant at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. She is a member of the NCRI AML working party, the European LeukemiaNet AMLMRD Working Group and more recently the Laboratory and Diagnostic subcommittee/ International Consortium on Acute Leukemia Committee (American Society of Hematology).

NCRI AML trials are in effect a national care plan for AML therapy within the NHS. Her laboratory work in the framework of a national NCRI clinical trials collaboration addresses a key question; whether relapse prediction in AML and myelodsyplasia could be improved by sensitive detection of leukemia-specific markers. She has developed and implemented immunophenotypic assays to evaluate and monitor AML during chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, recently extending this to novel assays tracking leukemic stem cell enriched populations with national /international collaborators. Under her leadership the Birmingham University Clinical Immunology Service has established an international reputation for flow cytometric AML monitoring, acting as the hub reference laboratory in the UK. Sylvie has a part time role at the WHIMM in Oxford that will build on joint expertise for developing AML monitoring assays. Collaborations with the molecular expertise at KCL, Cambridge and international colleagues are critical to optimise ‘fit for purpose’ precision assays that will best inform treatment of AML including for novel therapies.

Teaching

Teaching programmes

  • MBChB - Foundations of Medical and Science Practice 3 Immunology and Haematology course
  • BMedSci  
  • MPharm 

Research

The heterogeneity of AML in terms of both disease biology and patient-specific clinical factors necessitates advances in personalised risk stratification to improve outcomes with present and future therapies. Although not a common malignancy, treatment of patients with AML is disproportionately expensive particularly if patients have treatment intensified by stem cell transplantation. There are therefore major economic as well clinical benefits to be gained by better selection of patient-appropriate targeted therapies.

Laboratory work in the framework of a national NCRI clinical trials collaboration addresses a key question; whether relapse prediction in AML and high risk myelodsyplasia could be improved by sensitive detection of leukemia-specific markers.

The first study of MRD in older AML patients (NCRI AML16, CRUK funded) generated data (Freeman et al JCO 2013) that underpins MRD-directed therapy in older patients (NCRI AML18 trial). The collaborative analysis of younger patients in AML17 (NIHR funded, Prof Grimwade King’s College, London)) has produced important data on the prognostic relevance of molecular MRD (Ivey et al NEJM 2016) as well as flow cytometric MRD (Freeman et al JCO 2018) that are now being implemented for MRD directed therapy in the younger AML patients (NCRI AML19. In addition to flow cytometric MRD monitoring by standard leukemic-aberrant-immunophenotypes there is a collaborative focus on developing novel assays tracking leukemic-stem-cell-enriched populations, mass cytometry deep phenotyping and combining genetic profiling with flow cytometric data. In collaboration with Prof Craddock / Prof Vyas (Oxford), the potential of LSC tracking in parallel with conventional MFC MRD pre and post allogeneic transplantation was established (Bradbury et al, Leukemia 2015) and is part of a prospective randomised RIC-transplantation programme (FIGARO trial, BloodWise funded). The group are also testing a simple assay that might identify prior to treatment AML patients unlikely to respond to standard intensive chemotherapy by blood frequency of stem-cell-like blasts (BloodWise funded, collaboration with Prof Russell/Prof Hills for NCRI AML18) and evaluate expression of cell surface molecules that are targets for established and novel antibody directed AML therapy (Khan et al Leukemia 2017)

Collaborations

National

  • Professor Russell (Nottingham / Guy’s Hospital), Dr Dillon (KCL), Professor Hills (Oxford / Cardiff), Professor Vyas (Oxford), Professor Huntly (Cambridge) plus other members of UK AML working group, Paul Virgo (Bristol).

  • Previously Professor Grimwade (KCL) and Professor Burnett (Cardiff).

International

  • European LeukemiaNet
  • Cloos/ Schuurhuis/ Ossenkopele (VU, HOVON group, Netherlands)
  • Plesa (Lyon), Roumier (Lille), (leads for AML flow cytometric MRD for French AML ALFA group)
  • Hourigan, (NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethedsa, USA)
  • Pappaemannuil (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA).

College/UHB

  • Professor Craddock

Other activities

  • Member of the UK NCRI Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Working Party
  • Member of Trial Management Group of NCRI AML Trials (AML18, AML19, FIGARO)
  • Member of the European LeukemiaNet Acute Myeloid Leukemia MRD Working Group
  • Member of the Laboratory and Diagnostic subcommittee /International Consortium on Acute Leukemia Committee (American Society of Hematology).
  • Honorary Consultant University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • Honorary contract WHIMM, Oxford University

Publications

Highlight publications

Craddock, C, Jackson, A, Loke, J, Siddique, S, Hodgkinson, A, Mason, J, Andrew, G, Nagra, S, Malladi, R, Peniket, A, Gilleece, M, Salim, R, Tholouli, E, Potter, V, Crawley, C, Wheatley, K, Protheroe, R, Vyas, P, Hunter, A, Parker, A, Wilson, K, Pavlu, J, Byrne, J, Dillon, R, Khan, N, Mccarthy, N & Freeman, SD 2020, 'Augmented reduced-intensity regimen does not improve postallogeneic transplant outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia', Journal of Clinical Oncology . https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.20.02308

Freeman, S & Craddock, C 2020, 'Less is not necessarily more: toward a rational selection of the conditioning regimen in acute myeloid leukemia', Journal of Clinical Oncology , vol. 38, no. 12, pp. 1249-1251. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.19.03161

Freeman, S, Hills, R, Virgo, P, Khan, N, Couzens, S, Dillon, R, Gilkes, A, Upton, L, Nielsen, OJ, Cavenagh, JD, Jones, G, Khwaja, A, Cahalin, P, Thomas, I, Grimwade, D, Burnett, AK & Russell, NH 2018, 'Measurable residual disease at induction redefines partial response in acute myeloid leukemia and stratifies outcomes in patients at standard risk without NPM1 mutations', Journal of Clinical Oncology , vol. 36, no. 15, pp. 1486-1497. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2017.76.3425

Short, NJ, Zhou, S, Fu, C, Berry, DA, Walter, RB, Freeman, SD, Hourigan, CS, Huang, X, Nogueras, GG, Hwang, H, Qi, X, Kantarjian, H & Ravandi, F 2020, 'Association of Measurable Residual Disease With Survival Outcomes in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.', JAMA Oncology, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 1890-1899. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.4600

Schuurhuis, GJ, Heuser, M, Freeman, S, Béné, M-C, Buccisano, F, Cloos, J, Grimwade, D, Haferlach, T, Hills, RK, Hourigan, CS, Jorgensen, JL, Kern, W, Lacombe, F, Maurillo, L, Preudhomme, C, van der Reijden, BA, Thiede, C, Venditti, A, Vyas, P, Wood, BL, Walter, RB, Döhner, K, Roboz, GJ & Ossenkoppele, GJ 2018, 'Minimal/measurable residual disease in AML: consensus document from ELN MRD Working Party', Blood. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2017-09-801498

Recent publications

Article

PORTEC Study Group, Russell, NH, Wilhelm-Benartzi, C, Othman, J, Dillon, R, Knapper, S, Batten, LM, Canham, J, Hinson, EL, Betteridge, S, Overgaard, UM, Gilkes, A, Potter, N, Mehta, P, Kottaridis, P, Cavenagh, J, Hemmaway, C, Arnold, C, Freeman, SD & Dennis, M 2024, 'Fludarabine, Cytarabine, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor, and Idarubicin With Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Improves Event-Free Survival in Younger Patients With Newly Diagnosed AML and Overall Survival in Patients With NPM1 and FLT3 Mutations', Journal of Clinical Oncology , vol. 42, no. 10, pp. 1158-1168. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.00943

i4MDS consortium, Tentori, CA, Zhao, LP, Tinterri, B, Strange, KE, Zoldan, K, Dimopoulos, K, Feng, X, Riva, E, Lim, B, Simoni, Y, Murthy, V, Hayes, MJ, Poloni, A, Padron, E, Cardoso, BA, Cross, M, Winter, S, Santaolalla, A, Patel, BA, Groarke, EM, Wiseman, DH, Jones, K, Jamieson, L, Manogaran, C, Daver, N, Gallur, L, Ingram, W, Ferrell, PB, Sockel, K, Dulphy, N, Chapuis, N, Kubasch, AS, Olsnes, AM, Kulasekararaj, A, De Lavellade, H, Kern, W, Van Hemelrijck, M, Bonnet, D, Westers, TM, Freeman, S, Oelschlaegel, U, Valcarcel, D, Raddi, MG, Grønbæk, K, Fontenay, M, Loghavi, S, Santini, V, Almeida, AM, Irish, JM, Sallman, DA, Young, NS, van de Loosdrecht, AA, Adès, L, Della Porta, MG, Cargo, C, Platzbecker, U & Kordasti, S 2024, 'Immune‐monitoring of myelodysplastic neoplasms: Recommendations from the i4MDS consortium', HemaSphere, vol. 8, no. 5, e64. https://doi.org/10.1002/hem3.64

Othman, J, Potter, N, Ivey, A, Tazi, Y, Papaemmanuil, E, Jovanovic, J, Freeman, SD, Gilkes, A, Gale, R, Rapoz-D’Silva, T, Runglall, M, Kleeman, M, Dhami, P, Thomas, I, Johnson, S, Canham, J, Cavenagh, J, Kottaridis, P, Arnold, C, Ommen, HB, Overgaard, UM, Dennis, M, Burnett, A, Wilhelm-Benartzi, C, Huntly, B, Russell, NH & Dillon, R 2024, 'Molecular, clinical, and therapeutic determinants of outcome in NPM1-mutated AML', Blood, vol. 144, no. 7, pp. 714-728. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2024024310

Othman, J, Potter, N, Ivey, A, Jovanovic, J, Runglall, M, Freeman, SD, Gilkes, A, Thomas, I, Johnson, S, Canham, J, Cavenagh, J, Kottaridis, P, Arnold, C, Ommen, HB, Overgaard, UM, Dennis, M, Burnett, A, Wilhelm-Benartzi, C, Dillon, R & Russell, NH 2024, 'Postinduction molecular MRD identifies patients with NPM1 AML who benefit from allogeneic transplant in first remission', Blood, vol. 143, no. 19, pp. 1931-1936. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023023096

Mccarthy, N, Gui, G, Dumezy, F, Roumier, C, Andrew, G, Green, S, Jenkins, M, Adams, A, Khan, N, Craddock, C, Hourigan, CS, Plesa, A & Freeman, S 2024, 'Pre-emptive detection and evolution of relapse in acute myeloid leukemia by flow cytometric measurable residual disease surveillance', Leukemia, vol. 38, no. 8, pp. 1667-1673. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-024-02300-z

Versluis, J, Metzner, M, Wang, A, Gradowska, P, Thomas, A, Jakobsen, NA, Kennedy, A, Moore, R, Boertjes, E, Vonk, CM, Kavelaars, FG, Rijken, M, Gilkes, A, Schwab, C, Beverloo, HB, Manz, M, Visser, O, Van Elssen, CHMJ, de Weerdt, O, Tick, LW, Biemond, BJ, Vekemans, M-C, Freeman, SD, Harrison, CJ, Cook, JA, Dennis, M, Knapper, S, Thomas, I, Craddock, C, Ossenkoppele, GJ, Löwenberg, B, Russell, N, Valk, PJM & Vyas, P 2024, 'Risk Stratification in Older Intensively Treated Patients With AML', Journal of Clinical Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.02631

Hokland, P, Fernández, II, Freeman, SD, Gjertsen, BT, Jin, J, Murthy, V, Yanada, M & Ganser, A 2023, 'AML in the elderly—A global view', British Journal of Haematology, vol. 203, no. 5, pp. 760-773. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.19135

Othman, J, Wilhelm-Benartzi, CS, Dillon, R, Knapper, S, Freeman, SD, Batten, LM, Canham, J, Hinson, EL, Wych, J, Betteridge, S, Villiers, W, Kleeman, M, Gilkes, AF, Potter, N, Overgaard, U, Mehta, P, PANAGIOTIS, KOTTARIDIS, Cavenagh, J, Claire Jane Hemmaway, Arnold, C, Dennis, M & Russell, NH 2023, 'A Randomised Comparison of CPX-351 and FLAG-Ida in Adverse Karyotype AML and High-Risk MDS: The UK NCRI AML19 Trial', Blood Advances. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010276

Othman, J, Potter, N, Mokretar, K, Taussig, D, Khan, A, Krishnamurthy, P, Latif, A-L, Cahalin, P, Aries, J, Amer, M, Belsham, E, Conneally, E, Craddock, C, Culligan, D, Dennis, M, Duncan, C, Freeman, SD, Furness, C, Gilkes, A, Gkreka, P, Hodgson, K, Ingram, W, Jain, M, King, A, Knapper, S, Kottaridis, P, McMullin, MF, Mohite, U, Ngu, L, O'Nions, J, Patrick, K, Rider, T, Roberts, W, Severinsen, MT, Storrar, N, Taylor, T, Russell, NH & Dillon, R 2023, 'FLT3 inhibitors as MRD-guided salvage treatment for molecular failure in FLT3 mutated AML', Leukemia. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-023-01994-x

Freeman, SD, Thomas, A, Thomas, I, Hills, RK, Vyas, P, Gilkes, A, Metzner, M, Jakobsen, NA, Kennedy, A, Moore, A, Almuina, NM, Burns, S, King, S, Andrew, G, Gallagher, KME, Sellar, RS, Cahalin, P, Weber, D, Dennis, M, Mehta, P, Knapper, S & Russell, NH 2023, 'Fractionated Versus Single Dose Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin with Determinants of Benefit in Older AML: UK NCRI AML18 Trial', Blood. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2023020630

Ravandi, F, Cloos, J, Buccisano, F, Dillon, R, Döhner, K, Freeman, SD, Hourigan, CS, Ossenkoppele, GJ, Roboz, GJ, Subklewe, M, Thiede, C, Arnhardt, I, Valk, PJM, Venditti, A, Wei, AH, Walter, RB & Heuser, M 2023, 'Measurable residual disease monitoring in patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated with lower-intensity therapy: Roadmap from an ELN-DAVID expert panel', American Journal of Hematology, vol. 98, no. 12, pp. 1847-1855. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.27087, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.27087

Loke, J, McCarthy, N, Jackson, A, Siddique, S, Hodgkinson, A, Mason, J, Crawley, C, Gilleece, M, Peniket, A, Protheroe, R, Salim, R, Tholouli, E, Wilson, K, Andrew, G, Dillon, R, Khan, N, Potter, V, Krishnamurthy, P, Craddock, C & Freeman, S 2023, 'Posttransplant MRD and T-cell chimerism status predict outcomes in patients who received allografts for AML/MDS', Blood Advances, vol. 7, no. 14, pp. 3666-3676. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2022009493

Letter

Appelbaum, JS, Wei, AH, Mandrekar, SJ, Tiong, IS, Chua, CC, Teh, T-C, Fong, CY, Ting, SB, Weber, D, Benner, A, Hill, H, Saadati, M, Yin, J, Stone, RM, Garcia-Manero, G, Erba, HP, Uy, GL, Marcucci, G, Larson, RA, Thomas, A, Freeman, SD, Almuina, NM, Döhner, K, Thomas, I, Russel, NH, Döhner, H, Othus, M, Estey, EH & Walter, RB 2024, 'Clinical evaluation of complete remission (CR) with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) in acute myeloid leukemia: a report of 7235 patients from seven cohorts', Leukemia, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 389-392. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-024-02143-8

Rodríguez-Arbolí, E, Othus, M, Freeman, SD, Buccisano, F, Ngai, LL, Thomas, I, Palmieri, R, Cloos, J, Johnson, S, Meddi, E, Russell, NH, Venditti, A, Gradowska, P, Ossenkoppele, GJ, Löwenberg, B & Walter, RB 2024, 'Optimal prognostic threshold for measurable residual disease positivity by multiparameter flow cytometry in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)', Leukemia, vol. 38, no. 10, pp. 2266-2269. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-024-02378-5

Review article

DiNardo, CD, Erba, HP, Freeman, SD & Wei, AH 2023, 'Acute myeloid leukaemia', The Lancet, vol. 401, no. 10393, pp. 2073-2086. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00108-3