Maarit Tiirikainen, PhD
	Associate Professor (Specialist), Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i; Technical Director, Genomics Shared Resource, Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i PhD (Biochemistry), University of Helsinki, Finland; MS (Biochemistry), University of Helsinki, Finland maarit@crch.hawaii.edu

Publication list via PubMed

My main interest is Genomics. During the 10 years in my previous position in the Cancer Genomics Program at the USCF Comprehensive Cancer Center, I gained expertise in quantitative real-time PCR and microarray based DNA copy number analysis (CGH). I also worked on DNA methylation analysis, RNA interference (for gene silencing) and Systems Biology. Since my move to Hawai‘i in 2005, I’ve concentrated on expression profiling using gene expression microarrays.

At the Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i (CRCH), I work most closely with Drs. Le Marchand, Okimoto, Loo and Cheng. As a team, we have collaborated with the international Colon Cancer Family Registry (C-CFR) focusing on developing research strategies for the evaluation and functional studies of cancer susceptibility variants identified in GWAS (genome-wide association studies). Of particular interest is a genomic region at 8q24 that is associated with multiple cancers. What makes this region most intruiging is that it is practically a “gene desert”; the closest genes for the SNP most strongly associated with colon cancer are 842 and 335 kb away (up- and downstream). One possibility is that the region contains expression regulators, such as micro RNAs and we have started in silico and lab based analyses for possible novel micro RNAs in the region (partly supported by SOLiD Next Generation Sequencing Award from Applied Biosystems).

As the Technical Director of the Genomics Shared Resource (GSR) at CRCH, I’m providing molecular genetic analyses for research projects conducted by CRCH members.

The GSR provides expertise in fast developing areas of genetic and molecular biological analysis. The services currently offered are: (1) DNA/RNA isolation and quality analysis, (2) Custom genotyping, (3) Real-Time qPCR based gene expression and gene copy number assays, (4) Affymetrix GeneChip based assays, and (5) consultation services related to the above.

In late 2006, the GSR acquired a state-of-art Affymetrix GeneChip system. We are also equipped with ultra low sample volume RNA/DNA quantification equipment (NanoDrop) and chip based RNA quality measurement system (Bioanalyzer). We also conduct chip-based gene expression, genotyping and gene copy number studies and other GeneChip applications. Due to the vast amount of information gathered via microarray analyses, we work closely with the Bioinformatics Shared Resource (Dr. Okimoto) at CRCH to extract the significant biological information.

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Selected Publications

Okimoto G, Tiirikainen M, Babbar N, Poynter JN, Loo L, Loomis M, the Colon Cancer Family Registry, Hopper JL, Jenkins MA, Gallinger S, Thibodeau SN, Haile RW, Casey G, Duggan DJ, Le Marchand L. The association of global gene expression in human colon tumors with germline variation at rs6983267 on 8q24 suggests that this SNP is an eQTL hotspot. Abstract (minisymposium) at AACR Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, April 2009.

Epplein M, Wilkens LR,  Tiirikainen M, Chung F-L,  Murphy S,  Kolonel LN,  Le Marchand L.  Urinaryisothiocyanates, glutathione S-transferase M1, T1, and P1 polymorphisms, and risk of colorectal cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, 2009 Jan, 18: 314-20.

Le Marchand L,  Derby KS,  Murphy SE, Hecht SS, Hatsukami D, Carmella SG, Tiirikainen M, Wang H. Smokers with the CHRNA Lung Cancer-Associated Variants are Exposed to Higher Levels of Nicotine Equivalents and a Carcinogenic Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine. Cancer Res, 2008 Nov 15;68(22):9137-40.

Poynter JN,  Figueiredo JC, Conti DV,  Kennedy K, Gallinger S, Siegmund KD, Casey G, Thibodeau SN, Jenkins M, Hopper J, Byrnes G, Baron JA, Goode EL, Tiirikainen M, Lindor N, Grove J, Newcomb P, Jass J, Young J, Potter JD, Haile RW, Duggan DJ, and Marchand LL for the Colon CFR. Variants on 9p24 and 8q24 are associated with risk of colorectal cancer: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry. Cancer Res, 2007 Dec, 67(23):11128-11132.

Jensen RH, Tiirikainen M, You L, Ginzinger D, He B, Uematsu K, Xu Z, Treseler P, McCormick F, Jablons DM. Genomic alterations in human mesothelioma including high resolution mapping of common regions of DNA loss in chromosome arm 6q. Anticancer Res, 2003 May-Jun;23(3B):2281-2289.

Tiirikainen MI, Zardo G, Hong C, Misra A, Feuerstein BG, Volik S, Collins CC, Lamborn KR, Bollen A, Pinkel D, Albertson DG, Costello JF. Integrated genomic and epigenomic analyses pinpoint biallelic gene  inactivation  in tumors. Nat Gen, 2002 Nov, 32(3): 453-458.

Active Grants

A.A. Franke, Principal Investigator
M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator
CRCH Developmental Funds
"Establishment of Biomarkers for Radiation Damage after Computer Tomography in Children"
June 1, 2008 - May 31, 2009

L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator
M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator
U01 HG004802, NHGRI
"Epidemiology of Putative Causal Variants in the Multiethnic Cohort"
July 17, 2008 – May 31, 2012

L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator
M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator
R01 CA126895, NCI
"Whole Genome Scan for Modifier Genes in Colorectal Cancer"
September 1, 2008 – July 31, 2013

L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator
M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator
R01 CA129063, NCI
"Inflammation and Innate Immunity Genes and Colorectal Cancer Risk"
September 15, 2008-July 31, 2012

U. Lim, Principal Investigator
M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator
CRCH Developmental Funds
"Ethnic Variation in Methylation of Principal Blood DNA and the Association with Colorectal Adenoma"
January 1,2009 – December 31, 2009

M. Tiirikainen, Principal Investigator
2nd place award in “The SOLiD 3 System $10K Genome Grant Program”
"Small RNA Discovery and Profiling of RNA Samples from Subjects with a Multiple Cancer Susceptibility Genotype"
February 13, 2009- February 12, 2010

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