Dr. Julius Halaschek-Wiener, PhD, InspireHealth’s Director of Research, holds a Master of Science degree in Molecular Genetics and a PhD in Molecular Oncology, both from the University of Vienna, Austria. He completed a senior post doctoral fellowship program at the Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, where he was responsible for a 6-year project investigating genetic factors that promote healthy aging. As a key member of a multidisciplinary team, Julius studied how genes contribute to health promotion and disease resistance in 500 exceptionally healthy seniors (85 years or older) by coordinating a large-scale genomics project that required hands-on research and supervising a research team. So far, Julius has published one book chapter and more than a dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals. 

Julius strongly believes that rigorous application of valid science and knowledge translation of research will broaden and accelerate the acceptance of integrated medicine in the general population as well as among health care providers. He is passionate about cancer prevention through healthy living and applied programs that empower people, healthy and ill alike, to take responsibility for their own health. Julius also strives to live a healthy, active and environmentally conscious life himself.

Core Research Interests:

1) Innovation in Health Care; creation of a sustainable, true health care system through novel and out-of-the-box approaches.

2) Prevention; cancer prevention throughout the entire health continuum (e.g. primary prevention and prevention of disease recurrence)

3) Personal Responsibility; how to achieve self care, engagement and personal responsibility in one's health in cancer patients and the general public.

4) Emotional Health; to understand the emotional, stress, and personality aspects of cancer initiation, pro- and regression.

5) Transformation; understanding how to best facilitate lasting change in lifestyle behavior. Realizing that information is not enough, profound changes towards a healthier and better life have to be manifested on a deeper psycho-spiritual level. How can we best achieve this in a clinical setting and how is it applicable as a primary prevention tool in the general population.

6) Health Economy; how much money does an integrated cancer care (or integrated medicine) approach save the health care system. We would like to proof the cost-effectiveness of an integrated medicine/cancer care model.

7) Research Information System; creating and maintaining a world-leading database of world-wide integrative cancer care articles. Knowledge translation and dissemination.

Selected Publications:

Halaschek-Wiener J, Amirabbasi-Beik M, Monfared N, Pieczyk M, Sailer C, Kollar A, Thomas R, Agalaridis G, Yamada S, Oliveira L, Collins JA, Meneilly G, Marra MA, Madden KM, Le ND, Connors JM, Brooks-Wilson AR. Genetic variation in healthy oldest-old. PLoS One. 2009 Aug 14;4(8):e6641.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Vulto I, Fornika D, Collins J, Connors JM, Le ND, LansdorpPM, Brooks-Wilson A. Reduced telomere length variation in healthy oldest old. Mech Ageing Dev. 2008 Nov;129(11):638-41. Epub 2008 Aug 14.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Brooks-Wilson A. Progeria of stem cells: stem cell exhaustion in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. J Gerontol A Biol Sci MedSci. 2007 Jan;62(1):3-8. Review.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Khattra JS, McKay S, Pouzyrev A, Stott JM, Yang GS, HoltRA, Jones SJ, Marra MA, Brooks-Wilson AR, Riddle DL. Analysis of long-lived C. elegans daf-2 mutants using serial analysis of gene expression. Genome Res. 2005 May;15(5):603-15. Epub 2005 Apr 18.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Wacheck V, Kloog Y, Jansen B. Ras inhibition leads to transcriptional activation of p53 and down-regulation of Mdm2: two mechanismsthat cooperatively increase p53 function in colon cancer cells. Cell Signal. 2004Nov;16(11):1319-27.

Tomek S, Koestler W, Horak P, Grunt T, Brodowicz T, Pribill I, Halaschek J, Haller G, Wiltschke C, Zielinski CC, Krainer M. Trail-induced apoptosis andinteraction with cytotoxic agents in soft tissue sarcoma cell lines. Eur JCancer. 2003 Jun;39(9):1318-29.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Kloog Y, Wacheck V, Jansen B. Farnesyl thiosalicylic acid chemosensitizes human melanoma in vivo. J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Jan;120(1):109-15.

Gana-Weisz M, Halaschek-Wiener J, Jansen B, Elad G, Haklai R, Kloog Y. The Ras inhibitor S-trans,trans-farnesylthiosalicylic acid chemosensitizes humantumor cells without causing resistance. Clin Cancer Res. 2002 Feb;8(2):555-65.

Wacheck V, Heere-Ress E, Halaschek-Wiener J, Lucas T, Meyer H, Eichler HG,Jansen B. Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides chemosensitize human gastric cancer in a SCID mouse xenotransplantation model. J Mol Med. 2001 Oct;79(10):587-93.

Halaschek-Wiener J, Wacheck V, Schlagbauer-Wadl H, Wolff K, Kloog Y, Jansen B. A novel Ras antagonist regulates both oncogenic Ras and the tumor suppressor p53 in colon cancer cells. Mol Med. 2000 Aug;6(8):693-704.

Jansen B, Heere-Ress E, Schlagbauer-Wadl H, Halaschek-Wiener J, Waltering S, Moll I, Pehamberger H, Marciano D, Kloog Y, Wolff K. Farnesylthiosalicylic acid inhibits the growth of human Merkel cell carcinoma in SCID mice. J Mol Med. 1999 Nov;77(11):792-7.

Additional publications can be found here: http://bit.ly/1GKrFb