DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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Payal Khincha Appointed First Lasker Clinical Research Scholar in DCEG
In October 2023, Payal Khincha, M.B.B.S., M.S.H.S., was appointed the first Lasker Clinical Research Scholar in DCEG, a tenure-track position in the CGB. She is an internationally recognized expert in diagnostic methods and clinical management of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome.
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Alexandra Harris Receives Research Awards
Alexandra Harris receives two intramural research funding awards: the Center for Cancer Research Health Disparities Award and the Transdisciplinary Fellowship Research Award Supplement.
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Paul Albert Elected to Regional Leadership of International Biometrics Society
Paul Albert, senior investigator and Director of the Biostatistics Branch, was elected as President of the Eastern North American Region of the International Biometrics Society. His three-year term begins in 2024.
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2023 Cancer Health Disparities Fellows' Research Award Winner Announced
Kathryn A. Kundrod, Ph.D., M.P.H., Cancer Prevention Fellow in the Clinical Genetics Branch received the 2023 Cancer Health Disparities Fellows' Research Award.
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PFAS Levels and Kidney Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort Study
Using data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, researchers in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch led the first study to explore the relationship between blood levels of PFAS and risk of kidney cancer in different racial and ethnic groups.
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Novel Method Improves Polygenic Risk Prediction for Diverse Ancestries
A multidisciplinary and international team of scientists from academia, industry, and government, has developed a new statistical method for generating polygenic risk scores for heritable traits and diseases that improves performance across diverse populations.
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Fellows Receive AACR Scholar-in-Training Awards for Health Disparities Meeting
Drs. Courtney Dill, Alexandra Harris, and Jessica Madrigal received the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scholar-in-Training Award for the 2023 AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved.
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2023 Informatics Tool Challenge Winners Announced
Three projects were funded through the 2023 DCEG Informatics Tool Challenge.
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Tongwu Zhang Appointed Earl Stadtman Investigator
Tongwu Zhang has been appointed as an Earl Stadtman investigator in the Biostatistics Branch. Dr. Zhang studies the genetics and genomics of cancer risk and etiology using the tools of computational biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, and mathematics.
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Courtney Dill Selected for 2023-2024 FDA-AACR Oncology Educational Fellowship
Courtney Dill, postdoctoral fellow in the Biostatistics Branch, was selected for the 2023-2024 FDA-AACR Oncology Educational Fellowship. This fellowship is designed to promote scientific progress through exchange of scientific knowledge in oncology education, collaborative learning, and research.
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Steve Moore Appointed Principal Investigator of PLCO Cohort Study
Steven Moore has been appointed as DCEG’s principal investigator for the Prostate, Lung, Colon, and Ovary (PLCO) Cohort Study.
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Sarah Jackson Selected for NIH Distinguished Scholars Program
Sarah Jackson, Earl Stadtman investigator in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, was selected for the competitive 2023 NIH Distinguished Scholars Program.
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High Levels of Particulate Air Pollution Associated with Increased Breast Cancer Incidence
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that living in an area with high levels of particulate air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is one of the largest studies to date looking at the relationship between outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter, and breast cancer incidence. The research was done by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.
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Jacqueline Vo Selected for NIH Distinguished Scholars Program
Jacqueline Vo, assistant clinical investigator in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, was selected for the competitive 2023 NIH Distinguished Scholars Program.
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Risk of Liver Cancer Declines for People with HIV, But Rates Remains Elevated
Using data from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, Dr. Jennifer McGee-Avila and colleagues determined that for people with HIV, the risk of liver cancer has declined in recent years, but the rate of liver cancer compared to the general population remains elevated.
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STRIDES Research Team Meets in Bethesda to Review Progress, Plan Next Steps
A team of nurses, data analysts, and experts in health promotion from Mississippi visited the NCI last week—the first in-person meeting of the STRIDES study team in three years. STRIDES: Studying Risk and Improving Disparities of Cervical Cancer in Mississippi is led by Megan Clarke, Ph.D., M.H.S., Earl Stadtman investigator in the Clinical Genetics Branch, and partners at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the Mississippi State Department of Health.
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2023 Summer Intern Program
In the summer of 2023, 30 interns from 12 states and the District of Columbia, came to do research in every branch of DCEG as well as in the Trans-Divisional Research Program.
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Catch-Up HPV Testing May Help Prevent Cervical Cancer in Some Over 65
It may be worthwhile for some individuals between ages 65 and 69 to get tested for HPV, findings from a Danish study suggest. Specifically, the testing may help prevent cervical cancer among those who haven’t had cervical cancer screening for at least 5 years.
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Sandy Dawsey Retires from NCI After 35 Years
Sanford Dawsey retired in August 2023 after 35 years of service to the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Dawsey is best known for his research on methods of prevention and control of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), including etiologic studies of ESCC in high-risk populations and the development of clinically useful techniques for the early detection and treatment of ESCC precursor lesions and early invasive tumors.
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Serum PFAS Associated with Testicular Cancer Risk in U.S. Air Force Servicemen
Dr. Mark Purdue and colleagues found that higher levels of PFOS, a specific PFAS, in blood collected from U.S. Air Force servicemen was associated with higher risk of developing testicular cancer.