DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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Debra Silverman Receives 2020 EPICOH Lifetime Achievement Award
Over the past 48 years at the NCI, Dr. Silverman has made numerous seminal contributions to the field of occupational cancer epidemiology, including the evaluation of the carcinogenic effects of diesel exhaust.
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Cancer Deaths in the U.S. Resulted in Over Four Million Potential Years of Life Lost in 2017
Minkyo Song, Ph.D., and colleagues estimated the potential years of life lost due to premature death from cancer among Americans aged 75 and younger. They report common malignancies contributed to the largest number of years lost overall: lung cancer, followed by colorectal and breast cancer.
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DCEG Staff Gather in Virtual Town Hall Meetings, 2020 Summer and Fall
Stephen Chanock introduced the Trans-Divisional Research Program (TDRP) and recognized recipients of the Kelly Government Distinguished Achievement Awards, 2021 NCI Director’s Innovation Awards and DCEG Fellows Award for Research Excellence (DFARE) at the 2020 DCEG summer and fall town hall meetings.
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Jon Hofmann and Mark Purdue Present DCEG research at NASEM meeting on PFAS
Jonathan Hofmann, Ph.D., tenure-track investigator, and Mark Purdue, Ph.D., senior investigator, in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, participated in the Workshop on Federal Government Human Health PFAS Research, October 26-27, 2020, hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology.
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The Training Experience at DCEG
DCEG prides itself as an optimal training environment for those interested in conducting research in cancer epidemiology by championing innovative opportunities to obtain integrated scientific and career training. 10 current fellows share their training experience in DCEG.
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Laboratories Move to NCI Shady Grove Campus, Unifying DCEG
The Laboratory of Translational Genomics, the Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, and the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory joined the rest of the Division staff as occupants of a new constructed state of the art laboratory and staff building at Shady Grove.
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Neil Caporaso Retires from DCEG
Neil Caporaso studied genetic and environmental factors influencing lung cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and related familial hematologic disorders over his 37-year career at the National Cancer Institute.
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Branch Profile: Biostatistics
Underpinning nearly every research study conducted by DCEG is a collaboration with investigators in the Biostatistics Branch (BB). While highly trained and experienced epidemiologists can and do design their own analytic plans and calculate statistical power and other parameters, biostatisticians in BB ensure the statistical validity and strength of all DCEG research while actively engaging in the development of novel methods and tools.
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Allen Wilcox Delivers 2020 Wacholder Lecture
Dr. Wilcox, Scientist Emeritus in the Epidemiology Branch, Reproductive Epidemiology Group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences delivered the Sholom Wacholder Distinguished Lecture on The Cost of False-Positive Results: A Personal History.
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Donor IFNL4-null Genotype Associated with Improved Survival in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients with Acute Leukemia
Shahinaz Gadalla, M.D., Ph.D., Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D., and colleagues find acute leukemia patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) from donors with IFNL4-null genotype experience reduced risk of death from non-relapse related causes. Findings published October 2020 in Lancet Haematology.
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Jennifer Loud Retires after 27 Years of Service to the NCI
Jennifer Loud, adult nurse practitioner and assistant chief in the Clinical Genetics Branch, retired after 27 years of NCI service.
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Daily, Low-dose Aspirin May Be Associated with Reduced Ovarian Cancer Risk
Daily, low-dose use of aspirin by women younger than 70 may be associated with reduced risk of ovarian cancer. These findings were published in September 2020 in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.
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Standardizing the Definition of Aggressive Prostate Cancer for Etiologic Studies
Lauren Hurwitz and Michael Cook in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch proposed a standardized definition for aggressive prostate cancer for use in epidemiologic research and compared its performance using data from the NCI SEER-18 database. The findings were published October 3, 2020, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Novel Isoform of ACE2 Resolves Concern about Interferon-based Treatments for COVID-19
An international team of experts led by Dr. Prokunina-Olsson identified dACE2, a novel isoform of ACE2 (the cell receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect the body). The new report suggests that production of dACE2 and not ACE2 is affected by the presence of interferons, contributed by treatment or various viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2.
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Large Study Confirms HPV Vaccine Prevents Cervical Cancer
Researchers in Sweden have confirmed that widespread use of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine dramatically reduces the number of women who will develop cervical cancer. Aimée R. Kreimer, Ph.D., senior investigator in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, discusses the impact of the study for a featured research highlight on the NCI Cancer Currents blog.
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Exploring E-cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults
Neal Freedman, in collaboration with researchers in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, examined the use of e-cigarettes by U.S. adults in the largest nationally representative tobacco use survey. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open October 13, 2020.
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Payal Khincha Appointed Physician-Scientist Early Investigator
Payal Khincha was appointed physician-scientist early investigator in the Clinical Genetics Branch in Spring 2020. She will build an independent research program investigating the genetic and clinical epidemiology of individuals with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome.
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Megan Clarke Selected as Earl Stadtman Investigator in the Clinical Genetics Branch
Dr. Clarke combines molecular, clinical, and population-based approaches to address etiology, prevention, and early detection of anogenital and endometrial cancers, yielding results that inform natural history and clinical management. She has designed and implemented several new studies that will establish long-term resources to address novel questions related to disease natural history and risk factors in racially diverse and underserved populations.
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COVID-era Research in DCEG: An Update from Sharon Savage, Clinical Director
Across the biomedical research community, investigators have turned their attention to the pandemic with the hope of uncovering clues to improve health outcomes from COVID-19 infections, to better understand risk, develop therapeutics and vaccines, and to identify those at greatest risk. DCEG investigators are applying their expertise in analyzing cancer incidence trends, assay development, germline genomics, and other techniques, to the study of COVID-19.
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2021 NCI Director's Intramural Innovation Awards
The NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Award Program is designed to support development of highly innovative approaches and technology aimed at significant cancer–related problems. Winning proposals showed potential for significant scientific or public health impact, as well as approach, innovation, and programmatic relevance to the mission of the Division. Award winners include Drs. Jiyeon Choi, M. Constanza Camargo, Jongeun Rhee, Katelyn Connelly, Minkyo Song, Monica D'Arcy, and Rohit Thakur.