Ross Okimoto, MD

Assoc. Professor in Residence

Dr. Okimoto is a medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of sarcomas and lung cancer. He is a laboratory based physician-scientist who broadly aims to translate basic science discoveries into novel therapies for patients with cancer. He is currently interested in understanding how cancer cells gain transcriptional dependence to drive tumor progression and metastasis.

Honors and Awards
  • Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award Finalist, 2021
  • National Cancer Institute R37 MERIT Award, 2021
  • American Society of Clinical Investigation Young Physician-Scientist Award, 2019
  • NIH-NCI Career Development Award (K08), 2018
  • UCSF DOM Cohort Iniative Award, 2018
  • A.P. Giannini Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015
Websites
Publications
  1. Li YJ, Chien SH, Huang R, Herrmann A, Zhao Q, Li PC, Zhang C, Martincuks A, Santiago NL, Zong K, Swiderski P, Okimoto RA, Song M, Rodriguez L, Forman SJ, Wang X, Yu H. A Platform to Deliver Single and Bi-specific Cas9/guide RNA to Perturb Genes in Vitro and in Vivo. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy 2024. PMID: 39091030


  2. Luck C, Jacobs KA, Okimoto RA. The Capicua C1 Domain is Required for Full Activity of the CIC::DUX4 Fusion Oncoprotein. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2024. PMID: 38895482


  3. Ponce RKM, Luck C, Okimoto RA. Molecular and therapeutic advancements in Capicua (CIC)-rearranged sarcoma. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 2024. PMID: 38882060


  4. Azad TD, Nanjo S, Jin MC, Chabon JJ, Kurtz DM, Chaudhuri AA, Connolly ID, Hui AB, Liu CL, Merriott D, Ko R, Yoo C, Carter J, Chen E, Bonilla R, Hata A, Katakami N, Irie K, Yano S, Okimoto R, Bivona TG, Newman AM, Iv M, Nagpal S, Gephart MH, Alizadeh AA, Diehn M. Quantification of cerebrospinal fluid tumor DNA in lung cancer patients with suspected leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. NPJ precision oncology 2024. PMID: 38806586


  5. Thomas NJ, Luck C, Shlimon N, Ponce RK, Kosibaty Z, Okimoto RA. Mapping chromatin state and transcriptional response in CIC-DUX4 undifferentiated round cell sarcoma. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2023. PMID: 37873100


  6. Gupta N, Song H, Wu W, Ponce RK, Lin YK, Kim JW, Small EJ, Feng FY, Huang FW, Okimoto RA. The <i>CIC-ERF</i> co-deletion underlies fusion-independent activation of ETS family member, ETV1, to drive prostate cancer progression. eLife 2022. PMID: 36383412


  7. Kim JW, Luck C, Wu W, Ponce RK, Lin YK, Gupta N, Okimoto RA. Capicua suppresses YAP1 to limit tumorigenesis and maintain drug sensitivity in human cancer. Cell reports 2022. PMID: 36198276


  8. Bennett NK, Nakaoka HJ, Laurent D, Okimoto RA, Sei Y, Horvai AE, Bivona TG, Ten Hoeve J, Graeber TG, Nakamura K, Nakamura JL. Primary and metastatic tumors exhibit systems-level differences in dependence on mitochondrial respiratory function. PLoS biology 2022. PMID: 36137002


  9. Nanjo S, Wu W, Karachaliou N, Blakely CM, Suzuki J, Chou YT, Ali SM, Kerr DL, Olivas VR, Shue J, Rotow J, Mayekar MK, Haderk F, Chatterjee N, Urisman A, Yeo JC, Skanderup AJ, Tan AC, Tam WL, Arrieta O, Hosomichi K, Nishiyama A, Yano S, Kirichok Y, Tan DS, Rosell R, Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. Deficiency of the splicing factor RBM10 limits EGFR inhibitor response in EGFR mutant lung cancer. 2022. PMID: 35579943


  10. Gounder MM, Agaram NP, Trabucco SE, Robinson V, Ferraro RA, Millis SZ, Krishnan A, Lee J, Attia S, Abida W, Drilon A, Chi P, Angelo SP, Dickson MA, Keohan ML, Kelly CM, Agulnik M, Chawla SP, Choy E, Chugh R, Meyer CF, Myer PA, Moore JL, Okimoto RA, Pollock RE, Ravi V, Singh AS, Somaiah N, Wagner AJ, Healey JH, Frampton GM, Venstrom JM, Ross JS, Ladanyi M, Singer S, Brennan MF, Schwartz GK, Lazar AJ, Thomas DM, Maki RG, Tap WD, Ali SM, Jin DX. Clinical genomic profiling in the management of patients with soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Nature communications 2022. PMID: 35705558


  11. Ponce RKM, Thomas NJ, Bui NQ, Kondo T, Okimoto RA. WEE1 kinase is a therapeutic vulnerability in CIC-DUX4 undifferentiated sarcoma. 2022. PMID: 35315355


  12. Wustrack RL, Shao E, Sheridan J, Zimel M, Cho SJ, Horvai AE, Luong D, Kwek SS, Fong L, Okimoto RA. Tumor morphology and location associate with immune cell composition in pleomorphic sarcoma. Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII 2021. PMID: 33864502


  13. Quinn JJ, Jones MG, Okimoto RA, Nanjo S, Chan MM, Yosef N, Bivona TG, Weissman JS. Single-cell lineages reveal the rates, routes, and drivers of metastasis in cancer xenografts. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2021. PMID: 33479121


  14. Nothdurft S, Thumser-Henner C, Breitenbücher F, Okimoto RA, Dorsch M, Opitz CA, Sadik A, Esser C, Hölzel M, Asthana S, Forster J, Beisser D, Kalmbach S, Grüner BM, Bivona TG, Schramm A, Schuler M. Functional screening identifies aryl hydrocarbon receptor as suppressor of lung cancer metastasis. Oncogenesis 2020. PMID: 33214553


  15. Kim JW, Ponce RK, Okimoto RA. Capicua in Human Cancer. Trends in cancer 2020. PMID: 32978089


  16. Lin YK, Wu W, Ponce RK, Kim JW, Okimoto RA. Negative MAPK-ERK regulation sustains CIC-DUX4 oncoprotein expression in undifferentiated sarcoma. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020. PMID: 32788348


  17. Okimoto RA, Wu W, Nanjo S, Olivas V, Lin YK, Ponce RK, Oyama R, Kondo T, Bivona TG. CIC-DUX4 oncoprotein drives sarcoma metastasis and tumorigenesis via distinct regulatory programs. The Journal of clinical investigation 2019. PMID: 31329165


  18. Fish L, Navickas A, Culbertson B, Xu Y, Nguyen HCB, Zhang S, Hochman M, Okimoto R, Dill BD, Molina H, Najafabadi HS, Alarcón C, Ruggero D, Goodarzi H. Nuclear TARBP2 Drives Oncogenic Dysregulation of RNA Splicing and Decay. Molecular cell 2019. PMID: 31300274


  19. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. Metastasis: From head to tail. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 2017. PMID: 28055306


  20. Okimoto RA, Breitenbuecher F, Olivas VR, Wu W, Gini B, Hofree M, Asthana S, Hrustanovic G, Flanagan J, Tulpule A, Blakely CM, Haringsma HJ, Simmons AD, Gowen K, Suh J, Miller VA, Ali S, Schuler M, Bivona TG. Inactivation of Capicua drives cancer metastasis. Nature genetics 2016. PMID: 27869830


  21. Okimoto RA, Lin L, Olivas V, Chan E, Markegard E, Rymar A, Neel D, Chen X, Hemmati G, Bollag G, Bivona TG. Preclinical efficacy of a RAF inhibitor that evades paradoxical MAPK pathway activation in protein kinase BRAF-mutant lung cancer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2016. PMID: 27834212


  22. Premasekharan G, Gilbert E, Okimoto RA, Hamirani A, Lindquist KJ, Ngo VT, Roy R, Hough J, Edwards M, Paz R, Foye A, Sood R, Copren KA, Gubens M, Small EJ, Bivona TG, Collisson EA, Friedlander TW, Paris PL. An improved CTC isolation scheme for pairing with downstream genomics: Demonstrating clinical utility in metastatic prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer. Volume 380 of Issue 1. Cancer letters 2016. PMID: 27343980


  23. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. Tracking Down Response and Resistance to TRK Inhibitors. Cancer discovery 2016. PMID: 26747892


  24. Hrustanovic G, Olivas V, Pazarentzos E, Tulpule A, Asthana S, Blakely CM, Okimoto RA, Lin L, Neel DS, Sabnis A, Flanagan J, Chan E, Varella-Garcia M, Aisner DL, Vaishnavi A, Ou SH, Collisson EA, Ichihara E, Mack PC, Lovly CM, Karachaliou N, Rosell R, Riess JW, Doebele RC, Bivona TG. RAS-MAPK dependence underlies a rational polytherapy strategy in EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer. Nature medicine 2015. PMID: 26301689


  25. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. AXL receptor tyrosine kinase as a therapeutic target in NSCLC. Lung Cancer (Auckland, N.Z.) 2015. PMID: 28210148


  26. Okimoto RA, Perry A, Rubenstein JL. 77-year-old woman with a dural-based mass. Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBCL). Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) 2015. PMID: 25521182


  27. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. Recent advances in personalized lung cancer medicine. Personalized medicine 2014. PMID: 25506379


  28. Okimoto RA, Van Etten RA. Navigating the road toward optimal initial therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia. Current opinion in hematology 2011. PMID: 21252655


  29. Kim WJ, Okimoto RA, Purton LE, Goodwin M, Haserlat SM, Dayyani F, Sweetser DA, McClatchey AI, Bernard OA, Look AT, Bell DW, Scadden DT, Haber DA. Mutations in the neutral sphingomyelinase gene SMPD3 implicate the ceramide pathway in human leukemias. Blood 2008. PMID: 18299447


  30. Hur J, Bell DW, Dean KL, Coser KR, Hilario PC, Okimoto RA, Tobey EM, Smith SL, Isselbacher KJ, Shioda T. Regulation of expression of BIK proapoptotic protein in human breast cancer cells: p53-dependent induction of BIK mRNA by fulvestrant and proteasomal degradation of BIK protein. Cancer research 2006. PMID: 17047080


  31. Kwak EL, Jankowski J, Thayer SP, Lauwers GY, Brannigan BW, Harris PL, Okimoto RA, Haserlat SM, Driscoll DR, Ferry D, Muir B, Settleman J, Fuchs CS, Kulke MH, Ryan DP, Clark JW, Sgroi DC, Haber DA, Bell DW. Epidermal growth factor receptor kinase domain mutations in esophageal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 2006. PMID: 16857803


  32. Smolen GA, Muir B, Mohapatra G, Barmettler A, Kim WJ, Rivera MN, Haserlat SM, Okimoto RA, Kwak E, Dahiya S, Garber JE, Bell DW, Sgroi DC, Chin L, Deng CX, Haber DA. Frequent met oncogene amplification in a Brca1/Trp53 mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis. Cancer research 2006. PMID: 16585167


  33. Smolen GA, Sordella R, Muir B, Mohapatra G, Barmettler A, Archibald H, Kim WJ, Okimoto RA, Bell DW, Sgroi DC, Christensen JG, Settleman J, Haber DA. Amplification of MET may identify a subset of cancers with extreme sensitivity to the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor PHA-665752. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2006. PMID: 16461907


  34. Lynch HT, de la Chapelle A, Hampel H, Wagner A, Fodde R, Lynch JF, Okimoto R, Clark MB, Coronel S, Trowonou A, Fu YX, Haynatzki GR, Gong G. American founder mutation for Lynch syndrome. Prevalence estimates and implications. Cancer 2006. PMID: 16353207


  35. Cohen EE, Lingen MW, Martin LE, Harris PL, Brannigan BW, Haserlat SM, Okimoto RA, Sgroi DC, Dahiya S, Muir B, Clark JR, Rocco JW, Vokes EE, Haber DA, Bell DW. Response of some head and neck cancers to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be linked to mutation of ERBB2 rather than EGFR. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 2005. PMID: 16299242


  36. Bell DW, Gore I, Okimoto RA, Godin-Heymann N, Sordella R, Mulloy R, Sharma SV, Brannigan BW, Mohapatra G, Settleman J, Haber DA. Inherited susceptibility to lung cancer may be associated with the T790M drug resistance mutation in EGFR. Nature genetics 2005. PMID: 16258541


  37. Bell DW, Lynch TJ, Haserlat SM, Harris PL, Okimoto RA, Brannigan BW, Sgroi DC, Muir B, Riemenschneider MJ, Iacona RB, Krebs AD, Johnson DH, Giaccone G, Herbst RS, Manegold C, Fukuoka M, Kris MG, Baselga J, Ochs JS, Haber DA. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and gene amplification in non-small-cell lung cancer: molecular analysis of the IDEAL/INTACT gefitinib trials. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2005. PMID: 16204011


  38. Kwak EL, Sordella R, Bell DW, Godin-Heymann N, Okimoto RA, Brannigan BW, Harris PL, Driscoll DR, Fidias P, Lynch TJ, Rabindran SK, McGinnis JP, Wissner A, Sharma SV, Isselbacher KJ, Settleman J, Haber DA. Irreversible inhibitors of the EGF receptor may circumvent acquired resistance to gefitinib. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2005. PMID: 15897464


  39. Lynch TJ, Bell DW, Sordella R, Gurubhagavatula S, Okimoto RA, Brannigan BW, Harris PL, Haserlat SM, Supko JG, Haluska FG, Louis DN, Christiani DC, Settleman J, Haber DA. Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor underlying responsiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. The New England journal of medicine 2004. PMID: 15118073


  40. Lynch HT, Coronel SM, Okimoto R, Hampel H, Sweet K, Lynch JF, Barrows A, Wijnen J, van der Klift H, Franken P, Wagner A, Fodde R, de la Chapelle A. A founder mutation of the MSH2 gene and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer in the United States. JAMA 2004. PMID: 14871915


  41. Wagner A, Barrows A, Wijnen JT, van der Klift H, Franken PF, Verkuijlen P, Nakagawa H, Geugien M, Jaghmohan-Changur S, Breukel C, Meijers-Heijboer H, Morreau H, van Puijenbroek M, Burn J, Coronel S, Kinarski Y, Okimoto R, Watson P, Lynch JF, de la Chapelle A, Lynch HT, Fodde R. Molecular analysis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer in the United States: high mutation detection rate among clinically selected families and characterization of an American founder genomic deletion of the MSH2 gene. American journal of human genetics 2003. PMID: 12658575