Cancer Biology

Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Teams

The Cancer Biology program is committed to closely collaborate with the Population Sciences in the Pacific (PSP) program with the goal to advance cancer research in the state of Hawaiʻi . Here are some of the Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Teams headed by CB program members.

Mesothelioma research group led by Michele Carbone and Haining Yang
Michele Carbone and Haining Yang are the national and international leaders in mesothelioma research. The group discovered the role of BAP1 in cancer and discovered the BAP1 cancer syndrome. Based on their research, NCI recently established an early detection trial and a surgical trial for patients carrying BAP1 mutations.

Women’s Cancer Research Group led by Lenora Loo
This program is a transdisciplinary affinity group focused on female cancers (which include breast, endometrial, and cervical) that disproportionately affect Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations in our catchment area. The program includes 27 members, including Drs. Loo (CB), Franke (CB), Binder (PSP), Hernandez (PSP), Sherperd (PSP), Lee (CB), Ueno (CB), Wang (CB), Xie (CB), Fukui (CB) and Wiklens (PSP), etc.

Liver Cancer Research Group led by Xin Chen
Native Hawaiians have the highest incidence and mortality rates of liver cancer compared with any other racial or ethnic group, therefore, liver cancer is particularly interesting to UH Cancer Center investigators. The liver program includes Hoffmann (CB), Penner (CB), Kwee (CB), Wong (CB), Acoba (CB), Yu (PSP), and Lim (PSP).

Cancer genomics research group led by Youping Deng and Lang Wu
Supported by the NIH 1U54HG013243 center grant, the center has 2 research projects. The project 1 is led by Lang Wu (PSP), including co-Investigators Loic Le Marchand (PSP), Lynn Wilken (PSP), and Lani Park (PSP); Project 2 is led by Youping Deng (CB), including co-Investigators Peiwen Fei (CB), and Owen Chan (CB). The center has a genomics workforce core which is co-led by Jon-Paul Bingham and Maarit Tiirikaninen and a Community Engagement Core, which is co-led by Kevin Cassel (PSP) and Alika Maunakea (CB).

Clinical and Translation Research Group led by Stephanie Si Lim and Jeffrey Berenberg
This group has 25 members and meets monthly, intending to share and facilitate research collaborations across the island to drive the productivity and success of the IITs. This research program will be pivotal in translating basic research into clinical trials.