In April 2024, Takashi became a member of the Hata lab. He received his MD from Tsukuba University, Japan, and has been working as a thoracic surgeon. He developed an interest in cancer biology related to thoracic malignancies while working. His research focused on the tumor microenvironment of NSCLC at the National Cancer Center, Japan, and Toho University in Japan, and he finished his PhD at Toho University under the supervision of Akira Iyoda. He is interested in novel effective therapies that can target oncogenic drivers in thoracic malignancies including malignant pleural mesothelioma, and he began researching.
In 2024, Divya joined Hata Lab after earning her Master’s in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Trivandrum, India, and completing her Ph.D. in health sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, under Prof. Etta Livneh. In Prof. Livneh’s lab, she discovered a novel mechanism regulating PKC activity through an upstream ORF-encoded peptide, revealing its significance in cancer therapy. Her study showed a uORF with biological function exhibiting kinase inhibitory activity for the first time. Now at Hata Lab, Divya focuses on understanding the intricate dynamics between tumor cells and their microenvironment. Her research aims to develop better model systems illuminating this interplay and leverage the findings to overcome drug resistance to targeted therapy for EGFR, ALK & KRAS mutant lung cancers. Beyond the lab, Divya enjoys long walks, learning Japanese, and cherishing moments with family and friends. She’s also an enthusiastic dog-lover.
Jamie joined the Hata Lab in February 2024 after completing her BS in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Washington. While completing her studies, she was a member of the Fuller Lab, where she studied viral pathogenesis and the development of antivirals, vaccines, and immunotherapies. She also was a member of the Iribarren research group, where she worked on developing a urine metabolite test for tuberculosis drug adherence. In the Hata Lab, she is a member of the Model Development Team. Outside of lab, Jamie enjoys hanging out of her cat, watching documentaries, and cooking.
Arjun joined the Hata Lab in December 2023 after receiving his BA from Brown University. At Brown, Arjun was a Biology/Economics double major, and worked in biopharmaceutical investment banking at Leerink Partners in New York after graduation. He worked across M&A and equity capital markets for early-stage, preclinical biotech and pharmaceutical companies. In the Hata lab, he is a member of the Model Development Team which seeks to create cell lines and PDX models from patient lung cancer samples. Outside of lab, Arjun enjoys running, trying out new recipes, biking and exploring different cities.
Wafa is a graduate student in the lab within the Biological and Biomedical Sciences(BBS) program at Harvard Medical School. For her undergraduate studies, she attended Mount Holyoke College’19 where she majored in Biochemistry. During this time, she worked in the lab of Craig Woodard and studied the regulatory pathways involved in the developmental processes in Drosophila melanogaster. After college Wafa joined the Hata lab, as a research technician, where she studied the mechanisms of acquired resistance to Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) driven Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
As a Ph.D. student, Wafa aims to combine her diverse research backgrounds to explore mechanisms of tumorigenesis, cancer metastasis, and acquired resistance to leverage this knowledge towards the development of targeted therapies. Outside of science, Wafa is an avid cricket fan and in her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, going out with friends to explore the Boston area, and spending time in nature.
Our paper on mechanisms of resistance crizotinib and lorlatinib in ROS1 fusion-positive lung cancer is now available in Clinical Cancer Research. A true translational team effort!
Lin JJ*, Choudhury NJ*, Yoda S*, Zhu VW, Johnson TW, Sakhtemani R, Dagogo-Jack I, Digumarthy SR, Lee C, Do A, Peterson J, Prutisto-Chang K, Malik W, Hubbeling HG, Langenbucher A, Schoenfeld AJ, Falcon CJ, Temel JS, Sequist LV, Yeap BY, Lennerz JK, Shaw AT, Lawrence MS, Ou SI, Hata AN*, Drilon A*, Gainor JF*. Spectrum of Mechanisms of Resistance to Crizotinib and Lorlatinib in ROS1 Fusion-Positive Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Mar 8. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0032. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33685866.
The lab is back open! We have been given the approval to restart our experiments while following strict social distancing and safety measures outlined by the hospital.
