Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle):
Morris, Katherine T.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the key personnel and other significant contributors in the order listed on Form Page 2.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Katherine T. Morris
Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology,
Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico.
eRA COMMONS USER NAME
KTMorris
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
DEGREE
(if applicable)
YEAR(s)
BS
MD
1988-1992
1992-1996
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
FIELD OF STUDY
Mathematics
Medicine
A. Personal Statement
As a clinician scientist, I have been utilizing my expertise in the natural history, clinical management, and
outcomes of gastrointestinal cancers to establish a translational research program. Since joining UNM in 2011
I have been fortunate to develop strong collaborations in the UNM Cancer Center and in the Clinical and
Translational Sciences Center to develop my work examining the links between chronic inflammation and
gastric and colon cancers. My goals are to further elucidate the mechanisms of inflammatory cells in the tumor
microenvironment that lead from chronic inflammation to metastatic cancers. Specifically, I am examining the
under-studied area of how inflammatory cytokines induce expansion and invasion of stem-like cells in gastric
and colon carcinomas. Since stem cells are thought to drive tumor formation, a role for inflammatory cytokines
in tumor growth and metastasis are of crucial importance in gastrointestinal cancers. I strive to employ state of
the art immunological and genomics techniques to examine mechanisms linking chronic inflammatory diseases
to GI cancers. The objectives of my research are to gain understanding of chronic inflammation in
carcinogenesis and harness specific pathways to develop new treatments that target inflammation in GI
cancers leading to improved patient treatments.
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
2003 - 1996
Resident in General Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
2005 –2003
Surgical Oncology Fellow, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
2006 –2005
Surgical Oncologist, Oregon Surgical Consultants, Portland, OR
2010 –2005
Medical Director of Cancer Research, Legacy Health System, Portland, OR
2010 –2007
NW Surgical Oncology, PC, Surgical Oncologist, Portland, OR
2010 –2007
Medical Director of Hepatobiliary Program, Legacy Health System, Portland, OR
2010Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of
New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
2007 Member, American Association for Cancer Research
2006 Member, Society of Surgical Oncology
2005 Member, American Society of Clinical Oncology
2005 Member, American College of Surgeons
2010 – 2006
Member, Human Services Commission, State of Oregon, Genetics Advisory
Subcommittee
2009-2010
State Chair, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, Oregon.
Honors
2012
Gold Humanism Honor Society Induction
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 09/04, Reissued 4/2006)
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Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle):
2012
2009
2009
2001
2001
2000
2000
1999, 2000, & 2001
Morris, Katherine T.
Erwin W. Lewis Khatali Award for Clinical Teaching
Portland Business Journal Forty Under Forty
Portland Monthly Magazine Top Doctors, Surgical Oncology
American Association for Endocrine Surgeons Best Basic Science Paper Award
Pacific Coast Surgical Society Resident Paper Award
Oregon Health Sciences University Alumni Association Resident Paper Award
American Radium Society Young Oncologist Travel Grant
Baker-Moseley Award in Surgical Oncology - American College of Surgeons
C. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (in chronological order):
1. Morris KT, Horvath K, Jobe B, Swanstrom L. “Laparoscopic management of accessory spleens in immune
thrombocytopenic purpura.” Surgical Endoscopy, May 1999; Vol 13(5):520-522.
2. Morris KT, Pommier RF, Vetto JT. “Office based wire guided open breast biopsy under local anesthesia is
accurate and cost effective.” American Journal of Surgery, May 2000; 179(5):422-5.
3. Morris KT, Johnson N, Homer L, Walts D. “A comparison of complementary therapy use between breast cancer
patients and patients with other primary tumor sites.” American Journal of Surgery, May 2000; 179(5):407-11.
4. Morris KT, Marquez C, Vetto JT. “Prevention of local recurrence after surgical debulking of nodal and
subcutaneous melanoma deposits by hypofractionated radiation therapy.” Annals of Surgical Oncology, October
2000; 7(9):680-4.
5. Morris KT, Kavanagh M, Standage B. “Use of limited CT scans for diagnosing appendicitis: The real world.”
Owen Wangensteen Surgical Forum, 2000.
6. Morris KT, Johnson N, Dorsey P, Krasikov N, Allen M. “Genetic counseling impacts decision for prophylactic
surgery for patients perceived to be at high risk for breast cancer.” American Journal of Surgery, May
2001;181:431-433.
7. Morris KT, Stevens J, Fletcher WS, Pommier RF, Vetto JT. “Usefulness of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy for
the identification of SLN location in melanoma.” American Journal of Surgery, May 2001;181:423-426.
8. Morris KT, Pommier RF, Morris A, Schmidt WA, Beagle G, Alexander PW, Toth-Fejel S, Schmidt J, Vetto JT.
“Usefulness of the triple test score for palpable breast masses.” Archives of Surgery, September, 2001;
136(9):1008-1013.
9. Morris KT, Toth-Fejel S, Schmidt J, Fletcher WS, Pommier RF. “High DHEA predicts breast cancer cell growth
in tissue culture: A renewed role for adrenalectomy.” Surgery, December 2001; 130(6):947-53.
10. Morris KT, Kavanagh M, Whiteford MH, Hansen P, Deveney K, Standage B. “The rational use computed
tomography scans in the diagnosis of appendicitis.” American Journal of Surgery, May 2002; 183(5):547-550.
11. Morris KT, Vetto JT, Petty JK, Lum SS, Schmidt WA, Toth-Fejel S, Pommier RF. “A new score for the
evaluation of palpable breast masses in women under age 40.” American Journal of Surgery, October 2002;
184(4):346-347.
12. Morris AM, Flowers CR, Morris KT, Schmidt WA, Pommier RF, Vetto JT. “Comparing the cost-effectiveness
of the triple test score to traditional methods for evaluating palpable breast masses.” Medical Care, August 2003;
41(8):962-971.
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Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle):
Morris, Katherine T.
13. Morris KT, Song TJ, Fong Y. “Recent advancements in diagnosis and treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer
to the liver.” Surgical Oncology, November 2006; 15(3):129-134.
14. Morris KT, Busam KJ, Bero S, Patel A, Brady MS. “Primary cutaneous melanoma with regression does not
require a lower threshold for sentinel lymph node biopsy.” Annals of Surgical Oncology, January 2008;
15(1):316-322.
15. McLaughlin SA, Wright MJ, Morris KT, Sampson MR, Brockway JP, Hurley KE, Riedel ER, Van Zee KJ.
“Prevalence of lymphedema in 936 women with breast cancer 5 years after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary
dissection: I. Objective measurements.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, November 2008; 26(32):5213-9.
16. McLaughlin SA, Wright MJ, Morris KT, Sampson MR, Brockway JP, Hurley KE, Riedel ER, Van Zee KJ.
“Prevalence of lymphedema in 936 women with breast cancer 5 years after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary
dissection: II. Patient perceptions and precautionary behaviors.” Journal of Clinical Oncology, November 2008;
26(32):5220-6.
17. Sambasivan C, Deveney K, Morris KT. “Oncologic Outcomes after Resection of Rectal Cancer: Laparoscopic
versus Open Approach.” American Journal of Surgery, May 2010; 199:599-603.
18. Morris KT, Gönen M, Schwartz L, Tuorto S, DeMatteo R, D’Angelica M, Jarnagin WR, Fong Y. “A Simple
Measurement of Intra-abdominal Fat Predicts Outcome After Upper Abdominal Surgery.” Archives of Surgery,
November 2010; 145(11):1069-1073.
19. Thompson S, Pearson AN, Ashley MD, Jessick V, Murphy BM, Gafken P, Henshall DC, Morris KT, Simon RP,
Meller R. “Identification of a novel Bim E3 ligase, tri-partite motif containing protein 2, and its role in rapid
ischemic tolerance induced neuroprotection.” Journal of Biological Chemistry, June 2011; 286(22):19331-9.
20.
Nir I, Wiggins CL, Morris K, Rajput A. “Diversification and trends in Biliary tree cancer among the three major
ethnic groups in the state of New Mexico.” American Journal of Surgery, March 2012; 203(3):361-5.
21. Pinchuk I, Morris KT, Nofchissey RA, Earley RB, Wu JY, Ma TY, Beswick E. “Stromal myofibroblasts induce
Th17 during Helicopylori infection and in the gastric tumor microenvironment: A link between infection and
carcinogenesis.” PLoS One. 2013; 8(1):e53798.
D. Research Support
Ongoing Research Support
Grant ID ACS IRG 92-024
Ozbun (PI)
April 1, 2012-April 31, 2013
ACS IRG Pilot Award
Role: Pilot Project PI
The Role of G-CSF and G-CSF receptor in GI Cancer
The goal of this pilot award is to further explore the role of G-CSF and its’ receptor in human GI cancers.
Completed Research Support
LGSF
Morris (PI)
Legacy Good Samaritan Foundation Grant
10/01/2005-10/01/2010
Legacy Health System Tumor Bank.
The goal of this project was to establish a prospectively maintained collection of tumor tissue with ongoing
patient status updates. Confidentiality is assured by a code number linkage which is stored in our secure
Cancer Registry. The tissue is used for translational research and all participating patients give informed
consent. This project is ongoing under another PI since my departure.
Role: PI
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Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle):
Morris, Katherine T.
LGSF
Morris (PI)
Legacy Good Samaritan Foundation Grant
04/01/2008-03/01/2009
Combined selective internal radiation therapy and radiofrequency ablation for primary and secondary hepatic
malignancies with correlative study of treated samples.
The goals of this project were: to assess the safety of combined selective internal radiation therapy and
radiofrequency ablation for primary and secondary hepatic malignancies, and to perform analysis of markers of
angiogenesis and apoptosis in the treated tissues.
Role: Co-PI
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