Ross Okimoto, MD

Title(s)Assistant Professor, Medicine
SchoolSchool of Medicine
ORCID ORCID Icon0000-0002-4467-8476 Additional info
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse Awards and Honors
    2021National Cancer Institute R37 MERIT Award
    2021Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award Finalist
    2019American Society of Clinical Investigation Young Physician-Scientist Award
    2018NIH-NCI Career Development Award (K08)
    2018UCSF DOM Cohort Iniative Award
    2015A.P. Giannini Postdoctoral Fellowship

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse Overview
    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.

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse Research Activities and Funding
    Therapeutic degradation of Capicua (CIC) fused oncoproteins in undifferentiated sarcomas
    NIH R37CA255453Jun 17, 2021 - May 31, 2026
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Therapeutic rescue of the transcriptional repressor Capicua to inhibit lung cancer metastasis
    NIH K08CA222625Feb 1, 2018 - Jan 31, 2023
    Role: Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse Publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
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    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. A Platform to Deliver Single and Bi-specific Cas9/guide RNA to Perturb Genes in Vitro and in Vivo. Mol Ther. 2024 Jul 31. 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. PMID: 39091030.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    
    2. The Capicua C1 Domain is Required for Full Activity of the CIC::DUX4 Fusion Oncoprotein. bioRxiv. 2024 Jun 09. Luck C, Jacobs KA, Okimoto RA. PMID: 38895482; PMCID: PMC11185703.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    3. Molecular and therapeutic advancements in Capicua (CIC)-rearranged sarcoma. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2024; 12:1416697. Ponce RKM, Luck C, Okimoto RA. PMID: 38882060; PMCID: PMC11176417.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    4. Quantification of cerebrospinal fluid tumor DNA in lung cancer patients with suspected leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2024 May 28; 8(1):121. 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. PMID: 38806586; PMCID: PMC11133465.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    5. Mapping chromatin state and transcriptional response in CIC-DUX4 undifferentiated round cell sarcoma. bioRxiv. 2023 Oct 12. Thomas NJ, Luck C, Shlimon N, Ponce RK, Kosibaty Z, Okimoto RA. PMID: 37873100; PMCID: PMC10592754.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    6. The CIC-ERF co-deletion underlies fusion-independent activation of ETS family member, ETV1, to drive prostate cancer progression. Elife. 2022 Nov 16; 11. Gupta N, Song H, Wu W, Ponce RK, Lin YK, Kim JW, Small EJ, Feng FY, Huang FW, Okimoto RA. PMID: 36383412; PMCID: PMC9668335.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    7. Capicua suppresses YAP1 to limit tumorigenesis and maintain drug sensitivity in human cancer. Cell Rep. 2022 10 04; 41(1):111443. Kim JW, Luck C, Wu W, Ponce RK, Lin YK, Gupta N, Okimoto RA. PMID: 36198276; PMCID: PMC9674208.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    8. Primary and metastatic tumors exhibit systems-level differences in dependence on mitochondrial respiratory function. PLoS Biol. 2022 09; 20(9):e3001753. Bennett NK, Nakaoka HJ, Laurent D, Okimoto RA, Sei Y, Horvai AE, Bivona TG, Ten Hoeve J, Graeber TG, Nakamura K, Nakamura JL. PMID: 36137002; PMCID: PMC9498964.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    9. Deficiency of the splicing factor RBM10 limits EGFR inhibitor response in EGFR-mutant lung cancer. J Clin Invest. 2022 07 01; 132(13). 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. PMID: 35579943; PMCID: PMC9246391.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 21     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    10. Clinical genomic profiling in the management of patients with soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Nat Commun. 2022 06 15; 13(1):3406. 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. PMID: 35705558; PMCID: PMC9200814.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 40     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    11. WEE1 kinase is a therapeutic vulnerability in CIC-DUX4 undifferentiated sarcoma. JCI Insight. 2022 03 22; 7(6). Ponce RKM, Thomas NJ, Bui NQ, Kondo T, Okimoto RA. PMID: 35315355; PMCID: PMC8986087.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    12. Tumor morphology and location associate with immune cell composition in pleomorphic sarcoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2021 Oct; 70(10):3031-3040. Wustrack RL, Shao E, Sheridan J, Zimel M, Cho SJ, Horvai AE, Luong D, Kwek SS, Fong L, Okimoto RA. PMID: 33864502; PMCID: PMC8423706.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    13. Single-cell lineages reveal the rates, routes, and drivers of metastasis in cancer xenografts. Science. 2021 02 26; 371(6532). Quinn JJ, Jones MG, Okimoto RA, Nanjo S, Chan MM, Yosef N, Bivona TG, Weissman JS. PMID: 33479121; PMCID: PMC7983364.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 90     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    14. Functional screening identifies aryl hydrocarbon receptor as suppressor of lung cancer metastasis. Oncogenesis. 2020 Nov 19; 9(11):102. 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. PMID: 33214553; PMCID: PMC7677369.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 21  
    15. Capicua in Human Cancer. Trends Cancer. 2021 01; 7(1):77-86. Kim JW, Ponce RK, Okimoto RA. PMID: 32978089; PMCID: PMC7770027.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 7     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    16. Negative MAPK-ERK regulation sustains CIC-DUX4 oncoprotein expression in undifferentiated sarcoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 08 25; 117(34):20776-20784. Lin YK, Wu W, Ponce RK, Kim JW, Okimoto RA. PMID: 32788348; PMCID: PMC7456153.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 20     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    17. CIC-DUX4 oncoprotein drives sarcoma metastasis and tumorigenesis via distinct regulatory programs. J Clin Invest. 2019 07 22; 129(8):3401-3406. Okimoto RA, Wu W, Nanjo S, Olivas V, Lin YK, Ponce RK, Oyama R, Kondo T, Bivona TG. PMID: 31329165; PMCID: PMC6668665.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 26     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    18. Nuclear TARBP2 Drives Oncogenic Dysregulation of RNA Splicing and Decay. Mol Cell. 2019 09 05; 75(5):967-981.e9. 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. PMID: 31300274; PMCID: PMC6731133.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 35     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    19. Metastasis: From head to tail. Cell Cycle. 2017 03 19; 16(6):487-488. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. PMID: 28055306; PMCID: PMC5384580.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    20. Inactivation of Capicua drives cancer metastasis. Nat Genet. 2017 01; 49(1):87-96. 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. PMID: 27869830; PMCID: PMC5195898.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 80     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    21. Preclinical efficacy of a RAF inhibitor that evades paradoxical MAPK pathway activation in protein kinase BRAF-mutant lung cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 11 22; 113(47):13456-13461. Okimoto RA, Lin L, Olivas V, Chan E, Markegard E, Rymar A, Neel D, Chen X, Hemmati G, Bollag G, Bivona TG. PMID: 27834212; PMCID: PMC5127364.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 40     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    22. An improved CTC isolation scheme for pairing with downstream genomics: Demonstrating clinical utility in metastatic prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett. 2016 09 28; 380(1):144-52. 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. PMID: 27343980.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    23. Tracking Down Response and Resistance to TRK Inhibitors. Cancer Discov. 2016 Jan; 6(1):14-6. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. PMID: 26747892; PMCID: PMC4709026.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 7     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    24. RAS-MAPK dependence underlies a rational polytherapy strategy in EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer. Nat Med. 2015 Sep; 21(9):1038-47. 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. PMID: 26301689; PMCID: PMC4734742.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 147     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    25. AXL receptor tyrosine kinase as a therapeutic target in NSCLC. Lung Cancer (Auckl). 2015; 6:27-34. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. PMID: 28210148; PMCID: PMC5217513.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 18  
    26. 77-year-old woman with a dural-based mass. Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBCL). Brain Pathol. 2015 Jan; 25(1):111-2. Okimoto RA, Perry A, Rubenstein JL. PMID: 25521182; PMCID: PMC4942276.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    27. Recent advances in personalized lung cancer medicine. Per Med. 2014; 11(3):309-321. Okimoto RA, Bivona TG. PMID: 25506379; PMCID: PMC4263209.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    
    28. Navigating the road toward optimal initial therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia. Curr Opin Hematol. 2011 Mar; 18(2):89-97. Okimoto RA, Van Etten RA. PMID: 21252655; PMCID: PMC3496274.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    29. Mutations in the neutral sphingomyelinase gene SMPD3 implicate the ceramide pathway in human leukemias. Blood. 2008 May 01; 111(9):4716-22. 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. PMID: 18299447; PMCID: PMC2343601.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 52     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    30. 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 Res. 2006 Oct 15; 66(20):10153-61. Hur J, Bell DW, Dean KL, Coser KR, Hilario PC, Okimoto RA, Tobey EM, Smith SL, Isselbacher KJ, Shioda T. PMID: 17047080.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 34     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    31. Epidermal growth factor receptor kinase domain mutations in esophageal and pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Jul 15; 12(14 Pt 1):4283-7. 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. PMID: 16857803; PMCID: PMC3807136.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 58     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    32. Frequent met oncogene amplification in a Brca1/Trp53 mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis. Cancer Res. 2006 Apr 01; 66(7):3452-5. 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. PMID: 16585167.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 23     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    33. Amplification of MET may identify a subset of cancers with extreme sensitivity to the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor PHA-665752. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Feb 14; 103(7):2316-21. 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. PMID: 16461907; PMCID: PMC1413705.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 234     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    34. American founder mutation for Lynch syndrome. Prevalence estimates and implications. Cancer. 2006 Jan 15; 106(2):448-52. 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. PMID: 16353207.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    35. 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. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Nov 15; 11(22):8105-8. 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. PMID: 16299242.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 49     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    36. Inherited susceptibility to lung cancer may be associated with the T790M drug resistance mutation in EGFR. Nat Genet. 2005 Dec; 37(12):1315-6. Bell DW, Gore I, Okimoto RA, Godin-Heymann N, Sordella R, Mulloy R, Sharma SV, Brannigan BW, Mohapatra G, Settleman J, Haber DA. PMID: 16258541.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 212     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    37. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and gene amplification in non-small-cell lung cancer: molecular analysis of the IDEAL/INTACT gefitinib trials. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Nov 01; 23(31):8081-92. 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. PMID: 16204011.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 170     Fields:    Translation:HumansCTClinical Trials
    38. Irreversible inhibitors of the EGF receptor may circumvent acquired resistance to gefitinib. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 May 24; 102(21):7665-70. 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. PMID: 15897464; PMCID: PMC1129023.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 310     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    39. Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor underlying responsiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. N Engl J Med. 2004 May 20; 350(21):2129-39. 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. PMID: 15118073.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3978     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    40. A founder mutation of the MSH2 gene and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer in the United States. JAMA. 2004 Feb 11; 291(6):718-24. 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. PMID: 14871915.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 30     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    41. 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. Am J Hum Genet. 2003 May; 72(5):1088-100. 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. PMID: 12658575; PMCID: PMC1180263.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 66     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    42. Mytilus mitochondrial DNA contains a functional gene for a tRNASer(UCN) with a dihydrouridine arm-replacement loop and a pseudo-tRNASer(UCN) gene. Genetics. 1999 Jun; 152(2):641-52. Beagley CT, Okimoto R, Wolstenholme DR. PMID: 10353906; PMCID: PMC1460622.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
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