Cancer Population Sciences

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: CANCER POPULATION SCIENCES (CPS) The Cancer Population Sciences (CPS) Program brings together 50 faculty, representing 12 departments at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine (Geisel), Dartmouth Health (DH) and the White River Junction VT Veterans Administration Medical Center (VA), with research interests relevant to the three central CPS Program themes: 1) Life Course Cancer Epidemiology; 2) Health Care Delivery Science; and 3) Methodological Advances in Population Sciences. By bringing together scientists studying cancer risk, those addressing risk behaviors, those developing innovative methodologies, and those designing and evaluating cancer care delivery and policy, CPS Program Members seek to control cancer and improve population health within our catchment area and beyond. The CPS Program’s Specific Aims are to: 1) Conduct population-based studies to understand the molecular, behavioral, and environmental basis of cancer occurrence and outcomes across the life course; 2) Establish a scientific basis for policies and practices that improve cancer screening, quality of care delivery, and health outcomes across the cancer continuum, from prevention to survivorship; and 3) Design, test, and implement interventions and promote policies that reduce cancer risk and cancer burden in our catchment area, nationally, and beyond. Peer-reviewed cancer-relevant research direct cost support currently totals $11.6M, a 33% increase from 2019, with NCI funding representing $1.9M. Fifteen (15) CPS Program Members currently have a total of 21 CCSG-defined R01-equivalent awards. Since 2019, the Program has 703 cancer-related publications: 26% intra-programmatic, 12% inter-programmatic, 24% with investigators from other NCI cancer centers, and 20% in high-impact journals (i.e., impact factor ≥10, and/or Altmetric >95th percentile). These percentages are comparable to 2019 values (31% intra-programmatic, 9% inter-programmatic, 20% high- impact). CPS Program leaders work closely with the DCC Triple Helix Workgroup, consisting of the Offices of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) and Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), to pursue catchment-relevant research, community outreach and engagement, and contribution to education and career development. DCC support for faculty recruitment and development enhances the CPS Program’s ability to promote and convene a campus-wide cancer workforce. DCC institutional Developmental Funding (“Prouty Pilot grants”) and usage of DCC shared resources accelerate CPS Program Members toward extramural NCI and other cancer-relevant funding. Aligned with DCC’s Strategic Plan to Accelerate the Translational Pipeline, CPS Program leaders have defined specific plans for future growth that will advance DCC’s strategic scientific priorities of Precision Cancer Prevention, Next-Generation Immunotherapies, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.