Cullen Taniguchi Obituary – Death: Houston Texas Man and Radonc Physician-Scientist, Cullen Taniguchi Passes Away
Cullen Taniguchi Obituary; The UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Associate Professor Cullen Taniguchi has gone away. The outstanding Radonc physician-scientist Cullen Taniguchi was declared deceased yesterday, Wednesday, November 15, 2023. He passed away unexpectedly, rumors have it. Official information about the cause of his death has not yet been made public.
About Dr. Taniguchi
Dr. Taniguchi has dual appointments in experimental radiation oncology and gastrointestinal radiation oncology at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was formerly an associate professor. As a physician-scientist with a specialty on gastrointestinal malignancies, he carried out clinical and research efforts mostly related to pancreatic cancer.
The Taniguchi Lab studies hypoxia (low oxygen) biology with funding from CPRIT and the NIH. By reducing the damage to healthy tissue and increasing the removal of cancer cells, the research seeks to improve cancer responses. It largely uses hypoxia-inducible factor-2 (HIF2).
As a result of his well recognized scientific accomplishments, Dr. Taniguchi has been recognized with honors including the V Foundation Scholar, Kimmel Scholar, ASCI Young Investigator, J.W. Osborne Award from the RRS, and AAAS Fellowship. At MD Anderson, he oversaw three investigator-initiated trials in his capacity as main investigator.
In addition to his principal position, Dr. Taniguchi was involved in a U54 Grant between the University of Puerto Rico and MDACC and acted as a co-PI on NASA-funded studies with Baylor.
Through this partnership, fundamental and clinical oncology research in Puerto Rico will be strengthened, with an emphasis on identifying the variables that contribute to the notable disparities in cancer that minority populations face. Using these experiences, Dr. Taniguchi hopes to further develop and oversee the Translational Science Program at MD Anderson’s Division of Radiation Oncology.