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The Ellisen Lab

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Program Director, Breast Medical Oncology

Investigator, Ludwig Center at Harvard

[email protected]

Dr. Leif Ellisen is Breast Cancer Program Director and a senior Investigator at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Program at the Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Center. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, MD and PhD degrees from Stanford University, and completed residency training, oncology fellowship training, and postdoctoral research training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and MGH, respectively. The Ellisen laboratory’s research is focused on pathogenesis of breast and other cancers, with a particular focus on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), incorporating studies of tissue-specific development, transcription factor networks, and therapeutic response. We were among the first to define the intra-tumoral heterogeneity of TNBC (Karaayvaz et al, Nature Comms 2018); our work has revealed fundamental new genetic mechanisms in HR+ breast cancer (Rheinbay et al, Nature 2017; Matissek et al, Cancer Discovery 2018) and has elucidated a new oncogene controlling the tumor epigenome (Saladi et al, Cancer Cell 2017). We discovered that DNA damage and altered signaling precede histologic abnormalities in noncancerous breast tissues of BRCA2 mutation carriers (Karaayvaz et al, Science Advances 2020), and we applied our findings in a multi-center clinical trial that seeks to change the treatment paradigm for BRCA1/2-associated breast cancers (Spring et al, Nature Cancer 2022). Recent impactful work involves key studies to unravel the therapeutic mechanisms of antibody-drug conjugates that are revolutionizing breast cancer treatment (Coates et al, Cancer Discovery 2021; Bardia et al, Clinical Cancer Research 2024).

The Ellisen lab is uniquely positioned to work at the interface of basic tumor biology and therapeutic application. The lab’s work is strongly supported by a network of collaborators and by the extensive research and clinical infrastructure of the MGH Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School.

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Chenxu "Vincent" Guo

Postdoctoral Fellow

I am originally from China. I received my BA degree in Quantitative Economics and my BS degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biological Sciences and a concentration in Biochemistry from University of California, Irvine. I then completed my PhD degree in Biological Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. My primary research focus in the Ellisen Lab includes 1) taking a multiomics approach to elucidate the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance in TNBC, 2) establishing exosome-based diagnosis and prognosis for TNBC, and 3) developing exosome-based therapeutics for TNBC.

Ruby Maharjan

Postdoctoral Fellow

I am from Nepal where I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees in Pharmacy. Subsequently, I pursued my PhD in Pharmacy at Seoul National University in South Korea where my research focused on investigating the immunomodulatory effects of metronomic chemotherapy. Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Ellisen Lab where my research revolves around uncovering the reasons behind the disparities in TNBC occurrence and treatment response observed between African American and Caucasian women. Additionally, I am engaged in another study examining mutations in the promoter region of the p53 gene.

Bryce Ordway

Postdoctoral Fellow

I am from Palm Harbor, FL and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida with a major in Biotechnology. My PhD research was conducted at Moffitt Cancer Center where I investigated the causes and consequences of acidosis in breast cancer with considerable interest in the interplay between metabolic phenotypes and tumor evolution. My current focus in the Ellisen Lab is investigating how metabolic phenotypes may influence patterns of late-recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer patients and how we can use this knowledge to predict or prevent late-recurrence in patients. 

Zuen Ren

Postdoctoral Fellow

I am originally from China and learnt and practiced medicine at Capital Medical University, Beijing, where I completed my medical residency training in cardiothoracic surgery. I later earned an M.S. and a Ph.D – both in Biomedical Science (concentration: breast oncology and pathology), from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. My current works in the Ellisen Lab involve 1) using multiomics approach to deconvolute tumor heterogeneity of TNBC (the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer) for further powering therapeutic discovery across multiple levels of cancer biology, and 2) dissecting early pathogenesis of BRCA1/2-associated cancer for risk prediction and prevention.

Bogang

Bogang Wu

Instructor

I am originally from China and received my undergraduate degree from Liaocheng University, master’s degree from Jinan University in China. I completed my PhD in Cancer Biology at The George Washington University. I came to Massachusetts General Hospital for my postdoctoral fellowship in cancer biology and therapeutics. My current research interests include studying tumor microenvironment and mechanisms of novel antibody drug conjugate.

Ting Liu

Visiting Research Scientist

I am originally from China and received my undergraduate degree in Clinical Medicine from the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. I completed my MD in Oncology at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. In July 2022, I moved to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University as a breast surgeon. My current research in the Ellisen Lab involves studying the tumor microenvironment and mechanisms of novel antibody drug conjugates.

Elena Bitman

Research Assistant

I am originally from Voorhees, New Jersey. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Brandeis University. Currently, I am interested in the mechanisms of action and resistance in antibody drug conjugates to help find new therapeutic approaches to patient care. My future plan is to continue my education in medicine and research.

Ilze Smidt

Research Assistant

I am originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from Bates College in Maine. My current research interests involve disparities in TNBC occurrence and survival rates between African American and Caucasian American women and early driving factors in precancerous breast tissue that predict cancer formation in patients with genetic defects in homologous repair pathways. In the future, I plan to further my education in neuroscience while focusing on patient welfare and disparities research.

Win Thant

Research Assistant

I am originally from Myanmar (Burma). I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tufts University. I am currently interested in the mechanisms of actions of novel antibody drug conjugates and the TNBC tumor microenvironment and am taking gap years to explore my interests in depth. My future plan is to further my education in research and medicine.

Isabella Vianna

Research Assistant

I am originally from New Rochelle, New York. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as well as my Master of Arts in Biotechnology from Boston University. My current research interests focus on identifying and compiling biomarkers in precancerous cells to improve diagnosis and treatment. In the future, I plan on continuing my education and pursuing a career in medical research.

Nayana Thimmiah

PhD Student

I am originally from Worcester, Massachusetts. I received my Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Applied Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. My current research interests involve genome wide CRISPR screening and mechanistic studies behind irregularly expressed proteins in TNBC cells. My future plans include furthering my education within the healthcare field to continue to help those in need.

Natalie Moffett

TNBC Program Coordinator

I am originally from Essex, Vermont. I received my undergraduate degree in Health Science from Boston University, and my Master of Public Health from the Boston University School of Public Health, focusing in biostatistics and epidemiology. I am interested in cancer prevention, improving cancer outcomes, and disparities in cancer care. I am particularly interested in triple negative breast cancer, and am the program coordinator for the MGH Triple Negative Breast Cancer Program.

Aylin Dedeoglu

Clinical Research Coordinator

I am originally from Massachusetts. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology and my Certificate in Global Health from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. I am interested in preventive medicine and improving disparities in cancer care, while learning how research and clinical care inform one another. My future plan is to further my education in medicine and public health.

Sophia Coveno

Clinical Research Coordinator

I am originally from Massachusetts, and I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University – University Park. I am interested in preventative medicine, improving cancer outcomes, and addressing disparities in health care. In the future, I plan to continue my education in medicine and public health to continue to help those in need.

Nicole Smith

Laboratory Manager

Coming Soon

Akiko Suzuki

Program Coordinator

I am originally from Southern California. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Neuroscience from University of California, San Diego. I am interested in improving patient outcomes by bridging the gap between research and clinical care. In the future, I plan to further my education in healthcare in pursuit of optimizing patient care.

Alumni

Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Associate Professor w/ Tenure, University of Nantes, France

Assistant Professor, Cleveland Clinic Genomic Medicine Institute

Associate Professor w/ Tenure, International Medical University, Malaysia

Nageatte Ibrahim, MD

Associate Vice-President, Merck
Senior Scientist, Abbvie