School of Medicine
Showing 1-10 of 15 Results
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Yuan-Hung Lo
Postdoctoral Scholar, Hematology
BioI am currently working on several projects to understand the control of gastrointestinal and cancer stem cell biology, especially how critical intrinsic genetic mutations and extrinsic extracellular components within the microenvironment influence cell behaviors. Stem cells of the gastrointestinal tract give rise to the surface lining of the epithelium, and must continuously produce new cells to replace those shed into the lumen throughout the lifespan. When mutations accumulate in these stem cells, they can grow uncontrollably into benign polyps or malignant tumors. In Dr. Calvin Kuo’s laboratory, I have used transgenic mice and primary human organoids as the models. Human organoids provide a robust primary culture system to recapitulate 3D structure and multilineage differentiation, which represents an underutilized method for the study of stem cell and cancer biology (Lo et al, Nature Cancer 2020). I have focused my efforts on establishing next generation CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools in primary human organoids, and applying this powerful system to gain insight into how different signaling pathways can contribute to gastrointestinal stem cell activity and tumorigenesis (Lo et al, Cancer Discovery 2021).
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Michitaka Nakano
Postdoctoral Scholar, Hematology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTranslation of discoveries in basic cancer research into clinical oncology
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Roel Polak
Postdoctoral Scholar, Hematology
BioAs a doctor and researcher, I am driven by curiosity and intrigued by the unknown. In the clinics, my days are filled with ‘real-life biology’ and the joy of interacting with the most pure and honest people in the world: children. I am equipped with enthusiasm, vision, and love complex clinical problemsolving. As a natural empathic communicator, I am strong in building valuable doctor – patient relationships. In the research lab, my curiosity is driven by the complexity of the disease cancer and it’s microenvironment.
I am an unbiased thinker and can easily adapt plans and ideas based on obtained data. My pro-active attitude and eye for detail helped me master multiple complex techniques, start collaborations, and push projects to the next level. Combining my clinical work with fundamental & translational research would be a dream come true.
