DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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Dr. William Blot made seminal contributions to the development of the intramural epidemiologic research program at NCI, including, among others, studies to explain geographic patterns of U.S. cancer mortality and new insights into carcinogenic hazards, such as smokeless tobacco associated with oral cancer and arsenical air pollution and asbestos in relation to lung cancer. He recently retired amid accolades for his many accomplishments.
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This is the second installment of the Mentorship at DCEG: A Tradition of Excellence series. Gretchen Gierach, Ph.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch, and mentees Brittny Davis Lynn, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Mustapha Abubakar, M.D., Ph.D., describe their training and mentoring experiences at DCEG.
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In June 2021, Blanche P. Alter, M.D., M.P.H., senior clinician in the Clinical Genetics Branch, retired 21 years of service at the National Cancer Institute.
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DCEG Intramural Research Awards are competitive funding opportunities designed to foster creative, high-impact research by fellows and tenure-track investigators.
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In May 2021, the 3rd annual symposium focused on cancer health disparities in rural and Native populations, financial toxicity, evidence-based strategies to reduce disparities, and more. The event was coordinated by a planning committee that included Eboneé Butler and Michael Cook from DCEG.
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The five-year strategic plan outlines the critical elements to evaluate emerging exposures, including novel biomarkers, employing cutting-edge exposure assessment for a research program that utilizes the full potential of new analytic technologies and data sources. A key focus is a research program that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population.
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Dr. Choonsik Lee, head of the Dosimetry Unit in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, will serve the 2021-2025 term on the International Committee on Radiologic Protection, Committee 2: Doses from Radiation Exposure.
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Postdoctoral fellow Shu-Hong Lin, Ph.D., M.S., and Earl Stadtman tenure-track investigator Mitchell Machiela, Sc.D., M.P.H., in the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch analyzed nearly 770,000 individuals across five biobanks and find mosaic chromosomal alterations may increase the risk of different types of infections, including severe COVID-19.
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The theme was “The Lifetime Impact of Cancer: Experiences in survivorship research, advocacy, and policy.” Presenters included invited outside speakers and Dr. Amy Berrington, Chief of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch.
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Stephen J. Chanock, M.D. Director of DCEG, received the AACR/American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, while fellows Jeanny Wang, M.P.H., and Minkyo Song, M.D., Ph.D. received scholar in training awards.
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The 17th annual event focused on “Intramural Research in the Era of COVID-19.” Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, Principal Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute, delivered the keynote address. Drs. Jill Koshiol and Lisa Mirabello from DCEG gave presentations on recent scientific insights.
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Sarah Jackson, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in IIB, was inducted into the NIH Independent Research Scholar Program, sponsored by the Office of Intramural Research. Dr. Jackson studies sex differences in cancer incidence and cancer risk among transgender individuals.
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Inaugural Li-Fraumeni syndrome Awareness Day featured health education materials for clinicians, patients, and families, and was dedicated to the researchers who identified LFS in 1969 at the NCI: Drs. Frederick Li and Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr.
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REB experts presented “The Chernobyl Accident: Radiation and Health,” the first in the webinar series, “Community Building in Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry Research,” sponsored by the International Society for Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry (ISoRED). Dr. Amy Berrington talked about the society on the Physics World podcast.
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Investigators in the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch and Radiation Epidemiology Branch find that increasing body mass index may increase the risk of second cancers, including obesity-related cancers, second breast cancer, and estrogen receptor positive second breast cancer.
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In two landmark studies, researchers have used cutting-edge genomic tools to investigate the potential health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, a known carcinogen, from the 1986 accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. One study found no evidence that radiation exposure to parents resulted in new genetic changes being passed from parent to child. The second study documented the genetic changes in the tumors of people who developed thyroid cancer after being exposed as children or fetuses to the radiation released by the accident.
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Sarah Jackson, Ph.D., M.P.H., postdoctoral fellow in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch and colleagues using data from the National Cancer Database found that transgender people may be diagnosed at later stages, be less likely to receive treatment, and have worse survival for many cancer types compared to cisgender patients.
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DCEG investigators participated in the annual Intramural Investigators Retreat. Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., and Sara A. Courtneidge, Ph.D., D.Sc., gave the Knudson and Franklin Awards Lectures, respectively. Douglas Stewart, M.D., (DCEG) gave an invited lecture. Several others received awards.
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Keith Griffin, M.S., and Sarah Irvin, M.S., received the NIH Graduate Student Research Award for their posters presented at the 17th Annual NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium.
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Investigators in the Clinical Genetics Branch examined data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and found survivors are more likely to carry a harmful, or likely harmful, variant in known cancer susceptibility genes compared to individuals without cancer.