Radiation Epidemiology Branch

Understanding the link between radiation exposure and cancer

The research mission of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB) is to identify, understand, and quantify the risk of cancer in populations exposed to medical, occupational, or environmental radiation, and to advance understanding of radiation carcinogenesis.

Research Areas

REB investigators conduct a wide range of epidemiological, genetic, and radiation dosimetry research to quantify risk, identify susceptible populations, and carry out advanced exposure assessments. REB also houses the DCEG Cancer Survivorship Research Unit.

Learn more about REB research areas.

Fellowships

REB fellows enjoy unique opportunities to plan, conduct, and publish results from a variety of research studies while receiving training in radiation epidemiology, biostatistics, molecular epidemiology, radiation biology, and cancer risk assessment from radiation exposure.

• Explore fellowships in radiation epidemiology and dosimetry.
• Meet the current REB fellows.

REB Highlights

• Morton LM et al. Genomic characterization of cervical lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma following the Chornobyl accident. Nat Commun. 2024.
• Morton LM, Dores GM. T-Cell Neoplasms after B-Cell Neoplasms - The Pre-CAR T-Cell Era. NEJM. 2024.
• Vo JB et al. Long-term cardiovascular disease risk after anthracycline and trastuzumab treatments in U.S. breast cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024. 
• Kitahara CM, et al. Early-pregnancy sex steroid and thyroid function hormones, thyroid autoimmunity, and maternal papillary thyroid cancer incidence in the Finnish Maternity Cohort. Int J Cancer. 2024. 
• Gibson TM, et al. Polygenic risk scores, radiation treatment exposures and subsequent cancer risk in childhood cancer survivors. Nature Medicine. 2024. 
• 

  Research on Long Term Impacts of Proton and Photon Therapy Featured in NIH Intramural Blog

  NIH features Dr. Kitahara's research on the impact of photon and proton therapies among childhood cancer survivors and their risk of second cancer.

  Little, M et al. Ionising radiation and cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal. March 2022. 
• Ho KL et al. County-level geographic disparities in cardiovascular disease mortality among U.S. breast cancer survivors, 2000-2018. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2022.
• Veiga L HS et al. Treatment-related thoracic soft tissue sarcomas in US breast cancer survivors: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Oncology. 2022.
• Withrow DR et al. Pooled Analysis of Meningioma Risk Following Treatment for Childhood Cancer. JAMA Onc. 2022.
• Yeager M et al. Lack of transgenerational effects of ionizing radiation exposure in cleanup workers and evacuees of the Chernobyl accident. Science. 2021.
• Morton LM et al. Radiation-related genomic profile of papillary thyroid cancer after the Chernobyl accident. Science. 2021.
• Berrington de González A et al. Epidemiological studies of low-dose ionizing radiation and cancer: Rationale and framework for the Monograph and overview of eligible studies. JNCI. 2020.
• Linet MS et al. Outcome assessment in epidemiological studies of low-dose radiation exposure and cancer risks: Sources, level of ascertainment, and misclassification. JNCI Monographs. 2020.
• Gilbert ES et al. Issues in interpreting epidemiologic studies of populations exposed to low-dose, high-energy photon radiation. JNCI Monographs. 2020.
• Hauptmann M et al. Epidemiological studies of low-dose ionizing radiation and cancer: Summary bias assessment and meta-analysis. JNCI Monographs. 2020.

Courses & Webinars