DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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Bin Zhu Awarded Scientific Tenure by the NIH
In March 2023, Dr. Bin Zhu was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH and promoted to senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch. Dr. Zhu is an internationally recognized expert in the development of statistical methods for increasing the understanding of the etiology of cancer.
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Neal Freedman, Rashmi Sinha, Mary Ward Elected to AES
Drs. Freedman, Sinha, and Ward were elected to the American Epidemiological Society (AES), an honorary society dedicated to epidemiology.
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Low Dose Radiation Linked with Elevated Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Meta-analysis led by Dr. Mark Little finds elevated risk of cardiovascular disease associated with moderate and low doses of radiation, suggesting need for extra vigilance.
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Emily Pearce Receives 2023 NIH Graduate Student Research Award
Emily Pearce, predoctoral fellow in the Clinical Genetics Branch, received the 2023 NIH Graduate Student Research Award for her poster presentation at the 19th Annual NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium in the Behavioral Science and Psychology category.
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Staff Recognized for Excellence at Town Hall Meeting
Several awards were announced at the February hybrid Town Hall Meeting. They included Unsung Hero, Distinguished Scientific Service, Outstanding Paper for a Staff Scientist/Staff Clinician and Outstanding Paper for a Fellow.
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Celebrating Fifty Years of SEER
In 2023, the NCI SEER Program celebrates its 50th anniversary. DCEG is grateful for this incredible NCI resource which underpins nearly everything we do. Data from SEER are central to the day-to-day work of researchers in DCEG.
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Increased Physical Activity Linked with Lower Hospitalization Risk for Common Conditions
In a study of 82,000 UK adults, Dr. Eleanor Watts in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch observed that higher levels of physical activity were associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization from nine common conditions, including colon polyps and urinary tract infections.
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2023 DCEG Fellows Awards for Research Excellence
DFAREs recognize the outstanding scientific research performed by DCEG fellows and provides funding for travel to scientific meetings or conferences.
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2023 NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Awards
NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation awards support development of highly innovative approaches and technology aimed at significant cancer–related problems. Winners received one-time awards to be used in fiscal year 2023.
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2022 NIH Director's Awards
2022 NIH Director’s Award recognized DCEG staff for their efforts in administering NIH COVID vaccines.
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Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults Experience Elevated Mortality Rates
In a large cohort study, Dr. Sarah Jackson and colleagues found that transgender and gender diverse adults were at increased risk of overall mortality compared to cisgender adults.
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Jonine Figueroa Appointed Senior Investigator in Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch
Dr. Figueroa has rejoined DCEG as a tenured, senior investigator in the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch to research risk factors associated with breast cancer incidence and mortality in diverse populations.
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Eric Engels Elected 2022 AAAS Fellow
Dr. Eric Engels, senior investigator and director of the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, was recognized as a 2022 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is one of 505 scientists, engineers, and innovators elected for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers.
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Prevalence of VEXAS Syndrome Higher Than Expected, Genome-First Study Finds
Dr. Stewart et al. found that VEXAS syndrome, a novel medical disorder, was more prevalent than previously reported, especially among women. This study shows the power of the genome-first approach and the need to expand genetic panel testing.
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The PLCO Atlas – GWAS Explorer: Milestone in Data Sharing
The GWAS Explorer PLCO Atlas was created to serve as an interactive tool to facilitate data sharing to the public, which enables researchers to search for, visualize, and download aggregated association results from the PLCO genome-wide association analyses (GWAS).
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Black Women Have Highest Mortality Rate of Cervical Cancer Subtype Compared to All other Groups
Camyrn Cohen and colleagues found that, despite having the lowest incidence of cervical adenocarcinoma, Black women also experience the highest mortality rate of this cervical cancer subtype.
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2023 Diversity Career Development Program Selections
Drs. Oscar Florez-Vargas and Eleanor L. Watts were selected for the 2023 NCI Diversity Career Development Program which seeks to empower talented postdoctoral trainees, including but not limited to those from underrepresented groups in biomedical research, to achieve their full potential as research scientists.
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Virtual Pooled Registry Approach Improves Cancer Ascertainment
Investigators describe the value of a Virtual Pooled Registry (VPR) for population-based cohort studies in the United States. The VPR would increase the completeness of data, and decrease the time and costs associated with linking to multiple cancer registries.
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Growing the Field: NCI Fellowship Opportunities in Data Science
The NCI Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT) posted to their Cancer Data Science Pulse blog on training opportunities at the NCI for data scientists. “Growing the Field—NCI Fellowship Opportunities in Data Science” describes different programs across the Institute, including the DCEG Data Science Research Group, and features a quote from Dr. Monjoy Saha, Research Fellow in the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch.
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Geographic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Dr. Jacqueline B. Vo led a study using SEER data that observed increased cardiovascular disease mortality risk in breast cancer survivors if they lived in lower socioeconomic and more rural counties at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis compared to those living in higher socioeconomic and more urban counties.