Takamaru Ashikaga, Ph.D.
Professor of Mathematics & Statistics
Director of Medical Biostatistics and Biometry Facility
Research Programs: Cancer Prevention & Control; Clinical Research
VCC Membership Level: Member Scientist
Contact Information
Department of Medical Biostatistics
27 Hills Building
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
ph: (802) 656-2526
f: (802) 656-0632
Takamaru.Ashikaga @uvm.edu
Biography
Dr. Ashikaga received his Ph.D. in biostatistics, with minors in epidemiology and mathematical statistics, in 1973 from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health. His doctoral work covered the robustness of linear discriminant functions under non-normal conditions. He joined the faculty of UVM in 1973 and became a full professor in 1984. His past academic positions have included dean of the UVM College of Engineering and Mathematics and dean of faculty at Adelphi University. He is currently chair of the NICHD Health, Behavior and Context Subcommittee Study Section and chair of the NIAAA Epidemiology, Prevention and Behavior Research Review Subcommittee Study Section.
Research
In heading the Biostatistics Core of the VCC, Dr. Ashikaga and his colleagues support the basic science, the prevention and control, and the clinical research efforts of cancer center members. His background in biostatistical methods, experimental design, population sampling, statistical modeling, and data collection and management are utilized to support research proposals and active cancer center research studies. He currently supports a national randomized clinical trial of sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer patients; Phase I and II trials of Nifurtimox for treatment of neuroblastoma; and other cancer-related studies.
Recent Publications
Krag DN, Anderson SJ, Julian TB, Brown AM, Harlow SP, Ashikaga T, Weaver DL, Miller BJ, Jalovec LM, Frazier TG, Noyes RD, Robidoux A, Scarth HM, Mammolito DM, McCready DR, Mamounas EP, Constantino JP, Wolmark N; for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP). Technical outcomes of sentinel-lymph-node resection and conventional axillary-lymph-node dissection in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer: results from the NSABP B-32 randomised phase III trial. Lancet Oncol 2007; 8(10):881-8.
Flynn BS, Worden JK, Bunn JY, Dorwaldt AL, Connolly SW, Ashikaga T. Youth audience segmentation strategies for smoking-prevention mass media campaigns based on message appeal. Health Educ Behav 34(4):578-93, 2007.
McKinnon W, Naud S, Ashikaga T, Colletti R, Wood M. Results of an Intervention for Individuals and Families with BRCA Mutations: A Model for Providing Medical Updates and Psychosocial Support Following Genetic Testing. J Genet Couns 16(4):433-56, 2007.
Solomon LJ, Bunn JY, Flynn BS, Pirie PL, Worden JK, Ashikaga T. Mass media for smoking cessation in adolescents. Health Educ Behav in press; published online June 29, 2007.
Burdette-Radoux S, Wood ME, Olin JJ, Laughlin RS, Crocker AM, Ashikaga T, Muss HB. Phase I/II of adjuvant doses-dense docetaxel/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (TEC) in stage II and III breast cancer. Breast 13(3):274-80, 2007.
Krag DN, Shukla GS, Shen GP, Pero S, Ashikaga T, Fuller S, Weaver DL, Burdette-Radoux S, Thomas C: Selection of tumor-binding ligands in cancer patients with phage display libraries. Cancer Res 66(15):7724-33, 2006.
Weaver DL, Krag DN, Manna EA, Ashikaga T, Waters BL, Harlow SP, Bauer KD, Julian TB: Detection of occult sentinel lymph node micrometastases by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer. An NSABP protocol B-32 quality assurance study. Cancer 107(4):661-7, 2006.
Harlow SP, Krag DN, Julian TB, Ashikaga T, Weaver DL, Feldman SA, Klimberg VS, Kusminsky R, Moffat FL Jr, Noyes RD, Beitsch PD: Prerandomization Surgical Training for the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-32 trial: a randomized phase III clinical trial to compare sentinel node resection to conventional axillary dissection in clinically node-negative breast cancer. Ann Surg 241(1):48-54, 2005.
Philips GK, Reinier K, Ashikaga T, Luebbers RA: Attitudes and beliefs of primary care physicians regarding prostate and colorectal cancer screening in a rural state. J Cancer Educ 20(3):167-72, 2005.
Ashikaga T, Burns D, O'Brien P, Schaberg KB, Huston D: Texture analysis of post breast cancer lymphedema ultrasound images obtained using a portable device - a pilot study. Lymphat Res Biol 3(3):147-55, 2005.
Other Key Publications
Krag D, Weaver D, Ashikaga T, et al. The Sentinel Node in Breast Cancer: A Multi-Center Validation Study. New England Journal of Medicine. 1998 339: 941-946.
