David Miyamoto, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator
David Miyamoto is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, an Investigator in the Mass General Center for Cancer Research, and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. After studying Chemistry at Harvard College, he received his MD and PhD degrees from Harvard Medical School, where he completed thesis work with Dr. Timothy Mitchison. His post-doctoral research was with Drs. Daniel Haber and Shyamala Maheswaran at MGH. His current research focuses on the development of novel molecular biomarkers to guide prostate and bladder cancer therapy. Dr. Miyamoto is also a board-certified radiation oncologist specializing in genitourinary malignancies who sees patients in the MGH Department of Radiation Oncology and the Mass General Cancer Center. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing the violin, hanging out with his Maltipoo, and watching anime with his daughters.
Keisuke Otani, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Yukako Otani, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Yukako is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Miyamoto Lab. Prior to arriving in Boston, she studied the molecular mechanisms of osteoclast differentiation at Osaka University in Japan. Yukako is working on developing novel patient-derived organoid cultures to study the bladder cancer tumor microenvironment. Outside of the lab, she enjoys sports and seeing movies.
Yoshiyuki Miyazawa, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Yoshiyuki is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Miyamoto Lab. He graduated from Gunma University School of Medicine in Japan with an MD degree. He then completed his residency in urology and became a board-certified urologist. Later, he researched the anti-tumor effects of statins in prostate cancer at the Gunma University School of Medicine, where he received his PhD. He has continued his research in urologic oncology, with a focus on prostate cancer. For him, spending time with his family is priceless. Please visit his Blog!
Pooja Chauhan, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (joint with Willers Lab)
Pooja is a postdoctoral research fellow jointly in the Miyamoto Lab and Willers Lab. She earned her PhD in Life Sciences from JNU, India, where she studied the spatio-temporal expression and regulation of SG2NA, a cell cycle regulatory gene. In her post-doctoral research at Hebrew University, Israel, she studied 1) the molecular mechanisms of cisplatin resistance in various human cancers and 2) the role of chromatin dynamics on DNA damage sensitivity and repair (nucleotide excision repair) using genomic and biochemical approaches. Currently, in the Miyamoto and Willers Labs, Pooja is developing and applying genomic sequencing methods to characterize the DNA damage caused by proton radiation with the aim to identify novel cancer biomarkers. Pooja loves to spend her free time in reading, cooking and spend time with her family and friends.
Oluwakemi Badusi
Research Technician
Oluwakemi Badusi graduated from Wellesley College in 2021 with a degree in Chemistry. In the Miyamoto Lab, she is excited to learn new techniques to process and analyze patient-derived biospecimens including sequencing RNA. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking and hanging out with friends. Oluwakemi loves working in the Miyamoto Lab because of the supportive learning atmosphere!
Justin Kelly
Research Technician (joint with Haber/Maheswaran Lab)
Olivia Benson
Research Technician (joint with Willers Lab)
Olivia graduated from the University of New Haven in 2021 with a degree in Forensic Science. She is excited to be a part of such a positive learning environment in the labs of Dr. Willers and Dr. Miyamoto. She is looking forward to contributing to the Radiation Biomarker Project as well as learning new DNA and RNA analysis techniques. Outside of the lab, Olivia loves watching sunsets on the Cape Cod and traveling to new places!
Nicola Barbesino
Research Technician (joint with Willers Lab)
Nicola Barbesino graduated from Northeastern University in 2021 with a degree in Biology and Political Science and is now a Research Technician in the Miyamoto and Willers Labs. He is excited to take part in a biobanking project and contribute to projects involving bladder, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. In the lab, you can find Nic performing DNA extractions or under the cell culture hood. Outside of the lab, Nic spends most of his time fishing when he is not studying for the MCAT. Nic loves working in the Miyamoto Lab thanks to all the incredibly intelligent and wonderful people there are to learn from.
Haley Pleskow
Research Technician (per diem)
Haley Pleskow is a Research Technician in the Miyamoto Lab. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2017 with a degree in Economics. In the Miyamoto Lab, she focuses on developing a CTC gene expression score to monitor response to trimodality therapy for bladder cancer using unbiased microfluidic CTC isolation coupled with droplet digital PCR. Outside of the lab, you can find her working with the MGH-Timility Science Fair Program, playing Frisbee, or walking around Boston to find new restaurants! Haley loves working in the Miyamoto Lab because of the educational opportunities and lovely, collaborative environment.
Jacob Ukleja
Research Technician (per diem)
Alumni
- Klara Bader (Masters student – 2022)
- Noriyuki Okonogi (Postdoctoral research fellow, joint with Held Lab)
- Emma Qingyuan Yang (Postdoctoral research fellow, joint with Willers Lab)
- William Hwang (Radiation oncology resident)
- Erika Kusaka (Research technician)
- Rebecca Fisher (Research technician)
- Kathleen Bedingfield (Summer intern – 2019)