Metabolic Epidemiology Branch

Defining the relationships between diet, energy balance, hormones, tobacco, and cancer

Investigators in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch (MEB) conduct interdisciplinary research to understand the role of metabolic and lifestyle exposures in causing and preventing cancer. Some of the potentially modifiable exposures we study include diet, hormones, physical activity, and tobacco. We study how these exposures relate to a broad variety of cancers with researchers focusing on breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, liver, stomach, ovary, pancreas, prostate, and testis. We use traditional epidemiological methods combined with a variety of molecular methods including genomic analysis, metabolomics, microbiomics, and molecular pathology.

Research Mission

MEB’s research mission is to conduct collaborative high-impact epidemiological research on metabolic and lifestyle causes of cancer that will guide prevention and early intervention strategies worldwide.

We define causal relationships between diet, energy balance, hormones, tobacco, and cancer. Learn more about MEB research areas.

Fellowships

Training and mentoring the next generation of scientists is a key component of MEB’s mission. We provide research training for tenure-track investigators, postdoctoral fellows, doctoral students, masters and post-baccalaureate students, visiting fellows, and summer interns. Meet the current MEB fellows and find out about our research training opportunities.

Select Publications

• Watts EL et al. Physical activity, metabolites, and breast cancer associations. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024.
• Lawrence WR et al. Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage Across Life Course and Premature Mortality. JAMA NO. 2024.
• Loftfield E et al. Multivitamin Use and Mortality Risk in 3 Prospective U.S. Cohorts. JAMA Network Open. 2024.
• Thorell K and Muñoz-Ramírez ZY, et al. The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project: Insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes. Nat Commun. 2024.
• Gutiérrez-Torres DS. et al. Changes in smoking use and subsequent lung cancer risk in the ATBC Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024.
• Etemadi A et al. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines and incidence of esophageal cancer.  J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023.
• Lawrence W et al. Discrimination Experiences and All-cause and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2023.
• Watts EL et al. Association of Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity Level With Risks of Hospitalization for 25 Common Health Conditions in UK Adults. JAMA NO. 2023. 
• Gutiérrez-Torres DS, et al. Association of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at home and risk of mortality among US never smokers by race/ethnicity, education, and income. Prev Med 2022. 
• Torres-Roman JS, et al. Sex and age differences in mortality trends of gastric cancer among Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2022.
• Inoue-Choi M, Ramirez Y, Fukunaga, et al. Association of adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among former smokers. JAMA NO. 2022.
• Saint-Maurice PF, et al. Number of Deaths Prevented Through Physical Activity Among US Adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2022.
• Wang SM et al. Population attributable risks of subtypes of esophageal and gastric cancers in the United States. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021.