Natalia Ignatenko

I received my Ph.D. in Oncology from RE Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. I completed my post-doctoral training in Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, USA, and continue my academic career at the University of Arizona. My research integrates fundamental cancer biology with clinically relevant applications to address key challenges in early detection, risk stratification, and chemoprevention of colorectal cancer. I have developed and employed a range of in vitro and in vivo models—including organoid systems and genetically engineered mouse models—to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying colorectal tumorigenesis. My research is focused on colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention and preclinical disease modeling. I integrate fundamental cancer biology with clinically relevant applications to address key challenges in early detection, risk stratification, and chemoprevention of CRC. I have developed and employed a range of in vitro and in vivo models—including organoid systems and genetically engineered mouse models—to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying colorectal tumorigenesis. These platforms have enabled me to evaluate candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer, such as tissue polyamines and kallikrein-related peptidase 6 in disease progression in a physiologically relevant context.