Dr. Carter joined the Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy in the Department of Leukemia in 1999. Since then, her research has been focused on understanding the regulation of apoptotic regulators and targeting antiapoptotic proteins as a strategy to induce apoptosis in myeloid leukemia. Supported by AML PO-1, Dr. Carter found that survivin and XIAP, members of inhibitors of apoptosis protein family (IAPs) are highly expressed in AML and are potential therapeutic targets for AML. She recently discovered that cIAP1, another member of IAPs is significantly higher and its antagonist SMAC is significantly lower in AML stem/progenitor cells by protein array and she is investigating the potential of targeting cIAPs by SMAC mimetics in eradicating AML stem/progenitor cells and overcoming microenvironmental protection of leukemia cells. Dr. Carter also identified recently that ARC (apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain), a unique antiapoptotic protein is a strong poor prognostic marker in AML and plan to investigate its roles in AML cell growth and survival and in leukemia cells/stromal interaction.