Rate My Professor Tanis Godwin

Tanis Godwin is a Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences Division, at the University of Otago. She holds additional roles as Centre Manager for the Centre for Translational Cancer Research (CTCR) and AGDR Liaison for Genomics Aotearoa. Her research focuses on inherited gastric cancer risk, particularly hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) linked to CDH1/E-cadherin germline mutations. Godwin investigates synthetic lethal therapies exploiting vulnerabilities in E-cadherin-deficient cells, utilizing low concentrations of existing approved drugs to target precancerous lesions with reduced side effects and faster clinical translation. She also contributes to developing a specialized device for capturing circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from blood, facilitating non-invasive early detection of gastric cancer. Her work employs advanced models including cell lines, organoids, and patient-derived tissues to bridge genetic discoveries with clinical applications.

Based in Professor Parry Guilford's Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Godwin was promoted from Assistant Research Fellow to Research Fellow in 2020 in recognition of her contributions. She has co-authored numerous influential publications, including "E-cadherin loss in Cd44-positive gastric cells initiates diffuse gastric cancer" (Gut, 2026), "Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: the evolution of a cancer syndrome" (Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 2025), "E-Cadherin-Deficient Cells Are Sensitive to the Multikinase Inhibitor Sorafenib" (Cancers, 2022), "Allosteric AKT Inhibitors Target Synthetic Lethal Vulnerabilities in E-cadherin-Deficient Cells" (Cancer Research, 2019), "Loss of E-Cadherin Leads to Druggable Vulnerabilities in E-cadherin-Deficient Gastric Cells" (Cancers, 2022), and "E-cadherin signal sequence disruption: a novel mechanism of germline haploinsufficiency in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer" (Cell Death & Disease, 2018). With over 700 citations across 21 publications, her research has advanced understanding of HDGC pathogenesis and precision oncology strategies. Godwin completed undergraduate studies at the University of Glasgow, initially in physics and chemistry before specializing in genetics. Her patient-centered approach underscores the lab's ethos of impactful, collaborative science.