Masahiro Higuchi

MASAHIRO HIGUCHI, Ph.D., 58, of Little Rock passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 25, 2014. He was Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Higuchi was originally from Tokyo, Japan. He moved to the United States in 1991 to perform cancer research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He moved to Little Rock in 2004 to join the faculty in the College of Medicine where he performed research focused on molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression. His work was regularly funded by the National Institutes of Health. He oversaw research for graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Higuchi is the author of numerous scientific articles. He is survived by his wife, Junko Higuchi, and their three sons, Rintaro, Masatoshi, and Ryu as well as his brother, Takanobu, and sister, Yoko. A memorial service will be held in the Rayford Auditorium on the campus of UAMS at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1.​ Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.