• Associate Specialist, University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center
• Director, Genomics Shared Resource, University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center;
• Graduate Faculty: Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Degrees

• PhD, (Biochemistry), University of Helsinki, Finland
• MS (Biochemistry), University of Helsinki, Finland

Research Focus

Dr. Tiirikainen’s main interest is Genomics. During her 10 years in the Cancer Genomics Program at the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, she gained expertise in many cutting edge molecular profiling techniques. Since her move to Hawai‘i in 2005, Dr. Tiirikainen has concentrated on developing methodologies for coding and non-coding gene expression profiling in different sample types; unfixed and fixed tissue, white blood cells, plasma, serum and saliva.

Dr. Tiirikainen collaborates with several funded investigators from different UH Cancer Center programs. Together with investigators from the Epidemiology program, she has been developing research strategies for the replication and functional evaluation of cancer susceptibility variants identified in GWAS (genome-wide association studies). Many of these variants are not located in protein-coding genes but “gene deserts”. One possibility is that these regions contain expression regulators, such as microRNAs and Dr. Tiirikainen has been conducting in silico and lab based analyses for possible novel microRNAs in these regions.

Another area of interest is the study of circulating cell-free and cell-bound nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, miRNA) in cancer patients. In collaboration with Dr. Kwee in the Cancer Biology program, Dr. Tiirikainen has been developing methods for circulating plasma DNA quantification and characterization.

As the Director of the Genomics Shared Resource (GSR), Dr. Tiirikainen provides molecular genetic analyses for research projects conducted by UH Cancer Center members and the larger UH research community. The GSR provides expertise in the fast developing area of genomics. The services currently offered are: (1) DNA/RNA isolation, plating, and quality analysis, (2) Custom genotyping, (3) Real-Time qPCR based gene expression, copy number and methylation assays, (4) Pyrosequencing, (5) Affymetrix and Illumina microarray based assays, and (6) Consultation.

Publications

• Lim U, Wilkens LR, Monroe KR, Caberto C, Tiirikainen M, Cheng I, Park SL, Henderson BE, Kolonel LN, Haiman CA, Le Marchand L. Susceptibility variants for obesity and colorectal cancer risk: The multiethnic cohort and PAGE studies.Int J Cancer , 131(6):E1038-43, Epub 2012 April 17.
• Kwee SA, Song M, Loo L, Cheng I, Tiirikainen M. Measurement of Circulating Cell-free DNA in Relation to 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT Imaging in Chemotherapy-Treated Advanced Prostate Cancer. Clinical and Translational Science , 2012 Feb, 5(1), 65-70. Epub 2012 Feb 23.
• Loo LWM, Cheng I, Tiirikainen M, Lum-Jones A, Seifried A, Dunklee LM, Church JM, Gryfe R, Weisenberger DJ, Haile RW, Gallinger S, Duggan DJ, Thibodeau SN, Casey G, Le Marchand L. Cis-Expression QTL Analysis of Established Risk Variants for Colorectal Cancer. PLOS One , 2012;7(2);e30477. Epub 2012 Feb 12.
• Cheng I, Caberto C, Lum-Jones A, Seifried A, Wilkens L, Schumacher F, Monroe K, Lim U, Tiirikainen M, Kolonel L, Henderson B, Stram D, Haiman C, and Le Marchand L. Type-2 Diabetes Risk Variants and Colorectal Cancer Risk: The Multiethnic Cohort and PAGE Studies. Gut, 2011 May 20. [Epub ahead of print]
• 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.
• 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.

Publication list via PubMed

Selected Grants

• M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator (S. Kwee, Principal Investigator)
  Weinman Innovator Award, Weinman Foundation
  "Liver Cancer Detection Using Tumor DNA Isolated from the Blood"
  November 1, 2012 - October 31, 2013
• M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator (L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator)
  U01 HG004802, NHGRI
  "Epidemiology of Putative Causal Variants in the Multiethnic Cohort"
  July 17, 2008 – May 31, 2013
• M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator (L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator)
  R01 CA126895, NCI
  "Whole Genome Scan for Modifier Genes in Colorectal Cancer"
  September 1, 2008 – July 31, 2013
• M. Tiirikainen, Co-Investigator (L. Le Marchand, Principal Investigator)
  P01 CA168530, NCI
  Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, and Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort
  July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2017