Dr. Stefan Hinz is a science advisor with Irell & Manella LLP, where he leverages his experience in molecular biology and biomedicine to support biotech and pharmaceutical companies in patent litigation and intellectual property disputes. His deep understanding of molecular mechanisms and advanced technologies, such as microfluidics, cell engineering, bioinformatics, and machine learning, provides critical insights that help clients strengthen their patent portfolios and bolster our team’s trial strategies.

Stefan earned his Ph.D. in Biomedicine from Lorens Lab, University of Bergen, Norway; his M.S. in Molecular Life Science from UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Lübeck in Germany; and his B.S. in Molecular Life Science from Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein and the University of Lübeck in Germany. He is a Staff Scientist in the LaBarge Laboratory at City of Hope, where his work focuses on breast cancer prevention strategies. With hands-on experience in molecular biology, bioinformatics, drug development, drug target identification and validation, Stefan offers a unique scientific perspective essential for navigating complex IP-related issues.

Stefan remains engaged with the scientific community through his roles as a reviewer for journals such as Cancer Cell, Frontiers and BMC Medical Research Methodology. He has also contributed to the field by presenting at international conferences, including the American Society for Cell Biology, where he has organized and moderated scientific sessions.

Beyond his professional achievements, Stefan actively fosters scientific education and collaboration. He has taught scientific courses and co-authored grants for major agencies, including the NIH and the Department of Defense, reflecting his commitment to both innovation and mentorship in the scientific and legal communities.

Honors & Awards

  • AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science (2019)
  • Best Postdoctoral Talk Award, Research Staff Organization City of Hope, Lake Arrowhead
  • Invited Speaker TGEN National Scientific Retreat “The Next Generation of Innovators,” Tucson
  • ASCB | EMBO Travel Award, ASCB | EMBO Annual Meeting, San Diego (2018)
  • Best Poster Award, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers Symposium, Sølstrand, Norway

Publications

  • E.N. Arner, D. Alzhanova, J.M. Westcott, S. Hinz, C.E. Tiron, M. Blø, A. Mai, R. Virtakoivu, N. Phinney, S. Nord, K.Y. Aguilera, A. Rizvi, J.E. Toombs, T.C. Reese, V. Fey, D. Micklem, G. Gausdal, J. Ivaska, J.B. Lorens, R.A. Brekken. “AXL-TBK1 driven AKT3 activation promotes metastasis,” Science Signaling, Vol. 17, Issue 867 (2024)
  • S. Hinz, A. Lai, A. Dong, M. Lustig, M.A. LaBarge, L.L. Sohn. “Multi‐Zone Visco‐Node‐Pore Sensing: A Microfluidic Platform for Multi‐Frequency Viscoelastic Phenotyping of Single Cells,” Advanced Science, Vol. 11, Issue 43 (2024)
  • M.E. Todhunter, M. Miyano, E.G. Carlson, S. Hinz, M.A. LaBarge. “Sustained postconfluent culture of human mammary epithelial cells enriches for luminal and c-Kit+ subtypes,” Breast Cancer Research (2023)
  • S. Hinz, M.E. Todhunter, M.A. LaBarge. “Protocol for computationally evaluating the loss of stoichiometry and coordinated expression of proteins,” STAR Protocols, Vol. 3, Issue 2 (2022)
  • S. Hinz, A. Manousopoulou, M. Miyano, R.W. Sayaman, K.Y. Aguilera, M.E. Todhunter, J.C. Lopez, L.L. Sohn, L.D. Wang and M.A. LaBarge. “Deep proteome profiling of human mammary epithelia at lineage and age resolution,” iScience, 24, 103026 (2021)
  • M. Miyano, R.W. Sayaman, S.F. Shalabi, P. Senapati, J.C. Lopez, B.L. Angarola, S. Hinz, A. Zirbes, O. Anczukow, L.D. Yee, et al. “Breast-Specific Molecular Clocks Comprised of ELF5 Expression and Promoter Methylation Identify Individuals Susceptible to Cancer Initiation,” Cancer Prevention Research, 14, 779 (2021)
  • B. Li, K.L. Cotner, N.K. Liu, S. Hinz, M.A. LaBarge, and L.L. Sohn. “Evaluating sources of technical variability in the mechano-node-pore sensing pipeline and their effect on the reproducibility of single-cell mechanical phenotyping,” PLOS One, 10, e0258982 (2021)
  • K.Y. Aguilera, T. Le, R. Riahi, A.R. Lay, S. Hinz, E.A. Saadat, A. Vashisht, J. Wohlschlegel, T.R. Donahue, C. Radu and D.W. Dawson. “Porcupine inhibition disrupts mitochondrial metabolism and homeostasis in WNT ligand-addicted pancreatic cancer,” Molecular Cancer Therapeutics
  • S. Hinz, M.M. Basam, K.Y. Aguilera and M.A. LaBarge. “Internet-based tool for visualizing county and state level COVID-19 trends in the United States,” medRxiv, p. 2020.05.11.20095851 (2020)
  • S.F. Shalabi, M. Miyano, R.W. Sayaman, J.C. Lopez, T.A. Jokela, M.E. Todhunter, S. Hinz, J.C. Garbe, M.R. Stampfer, K. Kessenbrock, et al. “Evidence for accelerated aging in mammary epithelia of women carrying germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations,” cover story, Nature Aging, 1, 838-849 (2021)
  • S. Hinz and M.A. LaBarge. "Hijacking EMT: Better Fat Than Dead,” Cancer Cell 35(1): 1-2 (2019)
  • K.Y. Aguilera, H. Huang, W. Du, M.M. Hagopian, Z. Wang, S. Hinz, T.H. Hwang, H. Wang, J.B. Fleming, D.H. Castrillon, et al. “Inhibition of Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 Reduces Collagen-mediated Tumorigenicity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma,” Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 16, 2473-2485 (2017)
  • K. Wnuk-Lipinska, A. Engelsen, S. Hinz, R. Frink, X. Liang, S. Bougnaud, L. Girard, H. Nalwoga, L. Ahmed, L. Zhou, T. Sandal, D. Micklem, L.A. Akslen, J. Minna, G. Gausdal, R.A. Brekken and J.B. Lorens. “Axl is required for acquired drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer” (under revision, Science)
  • N. Awasthi, S. Hinz, R.A. Brekken, M.A. Schwarz and R.E. Schwarz. “Nintedanib, a triple angiokinase inhibitor, enhances cytotoxic therapy response in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Letters, 358, 59-66 (2015)
  • N. Awasthi, C. Zhang, A.M. Schwarz, S. Hinz, M.A. Schwarz and R.E. Schwarz. “Enhancement of nab-paclitaxel antitumor activity through addition of multitargeting antiangiogenic agents in experimental pancreatic cancer,” Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 13, 1032-1043 (2014)
  • C. Zhang, N. Awasthi, M.A. Schwarz, S. Hinz and R.E. Schwarz. “Superior antitumor activity of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in experimental gastric cancer,” PLOS One, 8, e58037 (2013)
  • K.T. Ostapoff, N. Awasthi, B.K. Cenik, S. Hinz, K. Dredge, R.E. Schwarz and R.A. Brekken. “PG545, an angiogenesis and heparanase inhibitor, reduces primary tumor growth and metastasis in experimental pancreatic cancer,” Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 12, 1190-1201 (2013)
  • N. Awasthi, C. Zhang, A.M. Schwarz, S. Hinz, C. Wang, N.S. Williams, M.A. Schwarz and R.E. Schwarz. “Comparative benefits of Nab-paclitaxel over gemcitabine or polysorbate-based docetaxel in experimental pancreatic cancer,” Carcinogenesis, 34, 2361-2369 (2013)
  • N. Awasthi, C. Zhang, S. Hinz, M.A. Schwarz and R.E. Schwarz. “Enhancing sorafenib-mediated sensitization to gemcitabine in experimental pancreatic cancer through EMAP II,” Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, CR 32, 12 (2013)

Speaking Engagements

  • S. Hinz. “MechanoAge, a Machine Learning Platform to Identify Individuals Susceptible to Breast Cancer Based on Mechanical Properties of Single Cells.” The American Association for Cancer Research (2025)
  • M. Miyano, R.W. Sayaman, P. Senapati, S. Hinz, V.E. Seewaldt, D. Schones, M.A. LaBarge. “Abstract A003: Integrating noise into a signal: Luminal epithelial cells integrate variable responses to aging into stereotypical changes that underlie breast cancer susceptibility,” The American Association for Cancer Research (2023)

  • S. Hinz, M. Miyano, A. Manousopoulou, R.W. Sayaman, K.Y. Aguilera, M.E. Todhunter, J.C. Lopez, L.D. Wang, L.L. Sohn, M.A. LaBarge. “Abstract A016: Aging-dependent emergent mechanical properties of single epithelial cells exploited for detection of breast cancer susceptibility,” The American Association for Cancer Research (2022)

  • S. Hinz, S. Miyano, J.C. Lopez, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Machine learning predicts states of aging based on emergent single‐cell mechanical phenotypes,” ASCB Conference (2021)
  • S. Hinz, J. Kim, J.C. Lopez, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Single-cell mechanical phenotypes are emergent properties that underlie cellular states of aging and malignant transformation,” 39th City of Hope Annual Advance Conference, Lake Arrowhead, CA (2019)
  • S. Hinz, J. Kim, J.C. Lopez, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Single-cell mechanical phenotypes are emergent properties that underlie cellular states of aging and malignant transformation,” TGen Scientific Retreat, Tucson, AZ (2018)
  • S. Hinz, J. Kim, M. Miyano, J.C. Lopez, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Single-cell mechanical phenotypes are emergent properties that underlie cellular states of aging,” 39th Annual Advance Conference, Lake Arrowhead, CA (2019)
  • S. Hinz, J. Kim, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Multi-parametric single-cell analysis for the detection of cellular characteristics as novel label-free biomarkers,” ASCB | EMBO Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (2018)
  • S. Hinz, J. Kim, L.L. Sohn and M.A. LaBarge. “Multi-parametric single-cell mechanical phenotypes are emergent properties of pathway activities that underlie cellular states of aging and malignant transformation,” City of Hope Annual Poster Presentation, Duarte, CA (2018)
  • S. Hinz, S. Tiron, R. Virtakoivu, J. Kang, M. Lie, K. Davidsen, M. Blø, A. Engelsen, V. Fey, D. Ferariu, E. Carasevici, J. Ivaska, D. Micklem, G. Gausdal and J.B. Lorens. “AXL regulates tumor phenotypic plasticity via nuclear targeted AKT,” CCBIO Symposium, Sølstrand, Norway (2016)
  • K. Wnuk-Lipinska, A. Engelsen, S. Hinz, R. Frink, X. Liang, S. Bougnaud, L. Girard, H. Nalwoga, L. Ahmed, L. Zhou, T. Sandal, D. Micklem, L.A. Akslen, J. Minna, G. Gausdal, R.A. Brekken and J.B. Lorens. “Selective small molecule AXL inhibitor BGB324 overcomes acquired drug resistance in non-small cell lung carcinoma models,” AACR- IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer, San Diego, CA (2014)
  • N. Awasthi, S. Hinz, R.A. Brekken, M.A. Schwarz and R.E. Schwarz. “Antitumor activity of nintedanib (BIBF 1120), a triple angiokinase inhibitor, in combination with gemcitabine in experimental pancreatic cancer,” American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), San Diego, CA (2014)
  • S. Hinz and R. Frink. “Targeting angiogenesis in lung cancer,” National Lung Cancer Partnership Tour Agenda, Dallas, TX (2013)
  • S. Stoelting, S. Hinz, H. Ungefroren, H. Lehnert and F. Gieseler. “Are CD133 Positive Cells From Esophagus Ascites Cancer Stem Cells?” European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress, Stockholm, Sweden (2011)

Education

University of Bergen, Norway (Ph.D., Biomedicine)

UT Southwestern Medical Center and University of Lübeck, Germany (M.S., Molecular Life Science)

University of Lübeck, Germany (B.S., Molecular Life Science) 

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