August 04, 2014
Researcher receives new investigator award
Kanako Hayashi, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at the SIU School of Medicine in Carbondale, received the New Investigator Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR).
SSR is an international association of scientists and physicians who are interested in reproduction research. The New Investigator Award recognizes active, regular members of the Society for outstanding research completed and published within 12 years after receiving their Ph.D. or other equivalent professional degree.
Hayashi was noted for her innovative work with the Wnt signaling pathway in the uterus and in ovarian cancer. The Wnt signaling pathway has been found to have a role in the development of cancer and also functions in the development of embryos.
Her research is focused on discovering novel mechanisms and targets for developing therapeutic strategies to suppress ovarian and endometrial cancer progression and metastasis. She received the award at the SSR’s annual meeting in July. She was lead author on a study of Wnt7A’s role in tumor growth and ovarian cancer that was selected among the latest issue of “The Best of American Association of Cancer Research Journals.”
Hayashi joined SIU School of Medicine in 2010. She completed post-doctorate training in physiology from Texas A&M University in 2005. She received her doctorate in physiology from Iwate University in Japan in 2002. She earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in animal science at Obihiro University in Japan in 1999 and 1997, respectively.
Her research funding, which totals more than $1.7 million, has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, The American Recover and Reinvestment Act, the American Cancer Society, SIU and others.