Cancer Epidemiology Research Program

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville TN

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT 007 ? CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and many other countries around the world. The Cancer Epidemiology Research Program (CE), directed by Xiao-Ou Shu, MD, PhD, and Wei Zheng, MD, PhD, conducts high-impact research to improve the understanding of cancer etiology and identify biomarkers for cancer risk and prognosis to inform the development of effective cancer prevention strategies. The mission of CE is to create an optimal environment to facilitate the interaction and collaboration of investigators conducting cancer epidemiology research, and to train the next generation of scientists. The specific aims of CE are to: 1) identify biomarkers for cancer risk assessment and early detection; 2) identify nutrition, lifestyle, and other environmental factors affecting cancer risk; 3) investigate biomarkers and lifestyle factors for cancer prognoses; and 4) identify determinants of health disparities in cancer incidence and mortality. One of the key strengths of CE lies in the establishment and conduct of three large cohort studies with extensive exposure data and biospecimens obtained from 223,000 study participants. CE members also conduct large cancer case-control studies and intervention trials and play major leadership roles in the Vanderbilt DNA Databank (BioVU), which contains extensive electronic health records and DNA samples collected from ~250,000 patients. Recently, CE members helped launch the national All of Us Research Program with a goal to enroll one million participants across the US and lead its Data and Research Support Center. These resources have provided, and will continue to provide, extraordinary population-based field laboratories for scientific discoveries. CE members are at the forefront of identifying genetic and lifestyle factors and biomarkers for the risk and progression of multiple cancers, with research that has significantly advanced our knowledge of cancer etiology and contributed to the modification of multiple guidelines and recommendations for cancer prevention. Most of the research within CE focuses on cancers that are directly relevant to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center catchment area, and involves participation by multiple segments of this population, including historically underrepresented groups. CE members play a leadership role in multiple large cancer epidemiology consortia and direct large international studies to test scientific hypotheses that cannot be adequately investigated in US- based studies. CE hosts five NIH-funded training programs and has successfully fostered the career development of more than 10 junior investigators. There are 24 program members from six departments and two schools, with $13.5M in total peer-reviewed funding and NCI making up 67% ($9.0M). Out of 586 publications, 53% are intra-programmatic and 18% are inter-programmatic. Members also have 387 collaborative publications with investigators at other NCI-designated cancer centers.