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Joanne Otani

NP MSN

Nurse practitioner
Clinical cancer researcher and golf enthusiast

Joanne Otani is nurse practitioner who specializes in treatments that stimulate the patient's own immune system to fight cancer, as well as other cellular therapies. She has a particular interest in caring for patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease, which can occur after a blood and bone marrow transplant.

Otani's research has focused on investigating promising new cancer treatments, including cellular therapies. She played an integral role in developing the clinical trial protocol that resulted in the first drug for graft-versus-host disease to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. She also has experience in developing and managing research programs in medical oncology and blood and bone marrow transplant.

Otani earned her master's degree in nursing from Samuel Merritt University. Prior to her nursing career, she worked as an environmental scientist and toxicologist; she has more than 25 years of experience in assessing how exposure to environmental and workplace chemicals affects human health.

Otani is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society.

Otani loves beagles and spending time with her own beagle, Mulligan. In golf, a mulligan allows players a do-over, and in life, Otani hopes to give her patients their own mulligan by providing them with new, innovative treatments.

  • Education

    Samuel Merritt University, MSN, 2002

It is the greatest privilege to be part of a patient's research team during their fight against cancer.

Our team (1)

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