Division Director
Division of Cancer Epidemiology
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths annually. Understanding the environmental, occupational, lifestyle, and genetic determinants of cancer risk and outcomes is essential for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. Cancer epidemiology provides the scientific foundation for identifying modifiable risk factors and biomarkers, elucidating biological mechanisms, conducting clinical and prevention trials, and addressing disparities in cancer burden across diverse populations. As the landscape of cancer risk evolves with emerging exposures, changing demographics, and advances in genomic technologies, population-based research is critical to informing evidence-based public health interventions and clinical practice.
Key areas requiring further investigation include the interplay between infectious agents and cancer development, the impact of emerging environmental and lifestyle exposures on cancer risk and survivorship, application of data science methods and tools, improving prevention and early detection, and identifying the omics factors underpinnings development, progression, and outcome of cancers. There is a pressing need to leverage electronic health records and advanced data science methods to build large, diverse cohorts that capture real-world cancer outcomes. Additionally, global disparities in cancer risk and outcomes demand research that bridges different epidemiology methods and approaches with implementation science to develop context-appropriate prevention and control strategies.
Mission Statement
The Division of Cancer Epidemiology conducts population research to identify environmental, occupational, lifestyle, and genetic determinants of cancer risk and outcomes, and to elucidate mechanisms underlying these associations, with the goal of reducing cancer burden and eliminating cancer disparities domestically and globally.
Our division is involved in research, teaching, and practice:
- Characterize genetic and epigenetic determinants of cancer risk, progression, and outcomes using targeted and untargeted omics approaches, genome-wide association studies, genome sequencing, polygenic risk scores, and gene-environment interaction analyses.
- Investigate the role of infectious agents (including HPV, HIV, and other viruses), host microbiota, and environmental and occupational exposures (e.g., neighborhood disadvantage, pesticides, hormones, diet, and physical activity) in cancer etiology and progression.
- Examine shared biologic and genetic pathways linking cardiometabolic diseases and cancer to improve integrated risk stratification and survivorship strategies.
- Study aging-related and life-course determinants of cancer susceptibility, progression, and survivorship.
- Develop and translate precision risk-prediction and early-detection strategies that integrate genomic, clinical, and social determinants of health data.
- Build and leverage large-scale cancer survivorship cohorts using electronic health records and biospecimen repositories to identify tumor-, patient-, treatment-, and community-level determinants of outcomes and disparities.
- Advance cancer health equity through equitable genomic research, community-engaged partnerships, and international collaborations.
- Evaluate the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies in genomic epidemiology and data science research.
- Provide comprehensive training and mentorship across the career spectrum, from undergraduate and predoctoral trainees to postdoctoral fellows and early-career investigators, through research, education, and equity-focused programs.