awatahiki[at]bccrc.ca

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Department:	Cancer Endocrinology (@ the BCCRC since 2005)
Research Role:	Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:	Ph.D. (Molecular Biology), Tsukuba University, 2004 M.D., Osaka University, 1997
Birthplace:	Yokosuka, Japan
Phone:	604-675-8000 ext.7011
Fax:	604-675-8019

Research Interests:

Metastasis is the so called final stage of cancer and most cases of cancer death are due to metastasis. Early detection and control of metastasis are therefore of critical importance for patients' prognoses, their disease management and quality of lives. At present, however, there are no diagnostic biomarkers available for predicting metastasis, nor effective therapeutic targets. Metastasis is a very complex, multi-step process, thought to be based on alterations in the regulation and expression of specific transcripts. My research interest is to identify molecular biomarkers which can be used to predict development of metastasis and/or may serve as novel therapeutic targets. The approach I use is based on identification of differentially expressed transcripts in metastatic and non-metastatic tumor lines obtained from patients, coupled to use of molecular biology techniques and bioinformatics.

The novel cancer tissue xenograft models, developed at the  Living Tumor Laboratory of the BC Cancer Agency from patients' cancer specimens, are considered clinically more relevant than conventional cancer cell xenografts. Especially the models that have been developed for metastatic and non-metastatic cancers are invaluable to my endeavours.