Honors & Awards

  • F99/K00 Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award, NCI (2023-2029)
  • Graduate Research Fellowship Program, NSF (2020-2023)

Professional Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Oregon Health Sciences University (2025)
  • Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University, Cancer Biology (2025)

Stanford Advisors

Contact

  • Academic
    ozakim@stanford.edu
    University - Scholar Department: Genetics Position: Postdoctoral Scholar

Additional Info

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

Research interests include tumor microenvironment interactions, stromal and tumor cell interactions, and how stromal cells impact metastasis.

All Publications

  • Reproductive state controls transcription in the murine liver, with implications for breast cancer liver metastasis PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Ozaki, M. K., Zhang, Y., Bartlett, A. Q., de Wilde, E., Guan, X., Yang, A., Xia, Z., Schedin, P. 2025; 122 (24): e2420174122

    Abstract

    Liver biology is functionally linked to lactation, as liver size and metabolic output increase during lactation to support synthesis of breast milk. Upon weaning, the rodent liver returns to baseline homeostasis via hepatocyte cell death, in a process considered liver involution. To explore liver biology changes across a lactation-wean cycle, we employed transcriptomic profiling. We identified elevated hepatocyte proliferation and anabolic metabolism gene signatures during lactation, consistent with the liver being a major producer of substrates needed for milk production. Rapid loss of these capacities upon weaning correlated with catabolic metabolism, lysosomal-mediated cell death, and an enrichment of immune-suppressive cells. Furthermore, we identified that the transcriptional profiles associated with liver involution share similarities with the gene expression patterns of liver premetastatic niches. This work identifies features of reproductive control of liver biology that set a foundation for better understanding the potential role of the liver in maternal health.

    View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.2420174122

    View details for Web of Science ID 001514348300001

    View details for PubMedID 40498462

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12184434

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3356-9071