Jonathan Hofmann, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Biography

Dr. Hofmann received a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Washington.  He joined the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) as a postdoctoral fellow in 2009, was appointed as a tenure-track investigator in 2015, and was awarded NIH scientific tenure in 2022. Dr. Hofmann is the principal investigator (PI) of the Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study and the NCI co-PI of the Agricultural Health Study, and he serves as the chair of the NCI Working Group on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Dr. Hofmann has received several awards recognizing his research and contributions to the scientific community, including the NCI Director’s Award for Population Science, the Pamela Anne Cafritz Renal Cell Carcinoma Award, and the DCEG Mentoring Award.

Research Interests

Dr. Hofmann's research is focused on understanding the carcinogenic potential of pesticides and other agricultural exposures and PFAS.  He also uses molecular epidemiologic approaches to investigate the etiology and natural history of multiple myeloma and its precursor monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).

Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture

BEEA investigates biological mechanisms of pesticides and cancer risk.

Agricultural Exposures

Agricultural exposures including pesticides, bioaerosols, and diesel exhaust have been associated with risk of various cancers, although the biological mechanisms underlying these associations are generally not well understood. The Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in Agriculture (BEEA) study was designed to facilitate efforts to evaluate the biologic plausibility and potential mechanisms of action through which these and other agricultural exposures may influence cancer risk. In this molecular epidemiologic subcohort within the Agricultural Health Study, biospecimens (including blood, urine, buccal cells, and house dust) and updated information on pesticide use and other agricultural exposures were collected from over 1,600 pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina.

Within BEEA, Dr. Hofmann is investigating the relationships between specific pesticides and other agricultural exposures and intermediate cancer-related biomarkers.

PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of synthetic chemicals used in a wide range of industrial applications and consumer products. Many PFAS are highly persistent in the environment, and a growing body of research has linked PFAS exposure to adverse health effects. To better understand the potential carcinogenicity of PFAS, Dr. Hofmann is leading investigations of kidney cancer and other malignancies in populations with background levels of PFAS exposure and in highly exposed individuals.

Etiologic Studies of Multiple Myeloma

The etiology of multiple myeloma, an aggressive plasma cell malignancy, remains poorly understood. A unique feature of multiple myeloma is that it is consistently preceded by a condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).

Dr. Hofmann is conducting molecular and genetic epidemiologic studies of multiple myeloma and its precursor MGUS, with a particular emphasis on elucidating the biological mechanisms through which obesity and immune dysregulation contribute to multiple myeloma development and progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma.