Takeo Fujii, M.D., M.P.H.

My research vision is to improve survival outcomes for patients with aggressive breast cancers, such as Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), and brain metastasis, through hypothesis-driven research. The primary goal of my research program is to develop novel therapeutic agents by identifying critical molecular targets through a combination of basic, translational, and early-phase clinical research.

Specific Research Objectives

To achieve this goal, my research program focuses on the following key objectives:

1. Unraveling the role of inflammation in breast cancer brain metastasis: Investigate the mechanisms by which inflammation contributes to the development and progression of breast cancer brain metastasis.
2. Preclinical validation of therapeutic targets: Identify and validate promising therapeutic targets through rigorous preclinical studies in relevant animal models.
3. Design and lead early-phase clinical trials: Translate preclinical findings into clinical practice by designing and leading early-phase clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutic interventions.

Research Approach

To address these objectives, my laboratory employees' innovative approaches to model clinical scenarios where unmet medical needs exist. We utilize two primary animal models:

1. Stroke-brain metastasis model: This model recapitulates the inflammatory response associated with ischemic stroke, which can promote the development of brain metastases.
2. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)-brain metastasis model: This model mimics the systemic inflammatory conditions associated with DVT, a potential contributing factor to brain metastasis.

By leveraging these models, we are investigating the impact of inflammation and immune cell infiltration on the tumor microenvironment in the brain and emergency hematopoiesis. Our research is particularly focused on the innate immune system, including neutrophils, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and monocytes.

Dr. Fujii received his MD from Shinshu University School of Medicine in Japan and an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, TX. During his graduate training, he served as a research assistant in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX.

Dr. Fujii completed internship at the United States Naval Hospital Okinawa, followed by internal medicine and medical oncology training at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. He subsequently pursued advanced clinical training through a fellowship in the Phase I Clinical Trials Program in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Hawai‘i and a medical oncology fellowship in the Translational Research Track of the joint Northwell Health Cancer Institute–Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory program in New York, where he trained in the laboratory of Dr. Mikala Egeblad.

He joined the Women's Malignancies Branch as a Physician-Scientist Early Investigator in 2022.