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.
Noriyuki Okonogi, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (joint with Held Lab)
Noriyuki is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Miyamoto Lab and the Held Lab, and a Chief Physician of QST Hospital/Department of Charged Particle Therapy Research, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Japan. He received his MD and PhD degrees from Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, where he completed thesis work with Dr. Yoshiyuki Suzuki. As a board-certified radiation oncologist in Japan, Dr. Okonogi has experience in proton beam therapy, brachytherapy, and carbon-ion radiotherapy. His current research focuses on the development in combination of immunotherapy and carbon-ion radiotherapy and biological response of normal tissues to particle beam therapy.
Klara Bader
Master's Student
Klara is a Master of Science student in the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Progam in the University of Applied Sciences – FH Technikum Vienna. She is pursuing her Master’s thesis research in the Miyamoto Lab on the topic of neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in prostate cancer. Klara is very excited to be part of the Miyamoto group and learn from other lab members. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city of Boston by bike and going to art museums.
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!
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
Kathleen Bedingfield
Summer Intern (2019)
Emma (Qingyuan) Yang, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
William Hwang, MD, PhD
Radiation Oncology Resident
Erika Kusaka
Research Technician
Rebecca Fisher
Research Technician