People in the News - News Updates
Find out the latest news about DCEG Staff: awards and recognition, hirings and promotions, and engagement at scientific conferences.
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2025 Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellows Announced
Drs. Emily Pearce, Jessica Scales, and Isabelle van der Velpen were selected for the 2025 Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship program. The program prepares female postdoctoral fellows for the transition to independent biomedical research careers through mentoring and networking opportunities, and seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership, time management, and self-promotional skills.
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Mary Ward Retires from the NCI
Dr. Ward retired on October 31, 2024, after 30 years of federal service. She investigated environmental and occupational causes of cancer, with special emphasis on drinking water contaminants, pesticides, and other chemicals in relation to the etiology of childhood leukemia, gastrointestinal cancers, and thyroid cancer.
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2024 iCURE Scholars Welcomed to NCI and DCEG
Tawnjerae Joe and Douglas Monroe are the 2024 incoming NCI Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (iCURE) Program Scholars.
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2024 NCI Principal Investigators Retreat
The 2024 NCI Principal Investigators Retreat gathered principal investigators from the two intramural divisions of NCI, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics and the Center for Cancer Research. The retreat was held at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, on October 15, 2024.
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2025 DCEG Fellows' Awards for Research Excellence
The 2025 DCEG Fellows' Award for Research Excellence (DFARE) recognizes the outstanding scientific research performed by DCEG fellows and provides funding for travel to scientific meetings or conferences.
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Rena Jones Awarded Scientific Tenure by the NIH
Dr. Rena Jones was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH and promoted to senior investigator in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch in October 2024. She studies the effects of environmental exposures on cancer risk.
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2025 NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Awards
Tongwu Zhang, Batel Blechter, Thong Luong, and Maya Spaur received 2025 NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Awards, which support the development of highly innovative approaches and technology aimed at significant cancer–related problems.
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2024 Summer Internship Program in DCEG
In the summer of 2024, 30 interns from 11 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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Debra Silverman to Retire from the NCI After Over 50 Years
Dr. Debra Silverman will retire from the NCI after over 50 years of service and 16 years leading the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch. She dedicated her career to investigating occupational, environmental, and host factors associated with cancers of the bladder, lung, and pancreas. In addition, Dr. Silverman paved the way for other women to enter the field of biostatistics and epidemiology, shepherding junior investigators to leadership roles.
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Mark Purdue Appointed Director of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch
Dr. Purdue is an internationally recognized expert in the study of cancer associations with occupational and environmental exposures to chlorinated solvents, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other agents, and the etiology of kidney cancer.
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Megan Clarke Departs DCEG
Megan Clarke, former Earl Stadman investigator in the Clinical Genetics Branch, began a new position at the pharmaceutical firm Abbvie in September 2024. During her tenure in DCEG, she combined molecular, clinical, and population-based approaches to address etiology, prevention, and early detection of anogenital and endometrial cancers. Her discoveries advanced understanding of natural history, influenced clinical management guidelines, and address cancer disparities.
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Research on Long Term Impacts of Proton and Photon Therapy Featured in NIH Intramural Blog
NIH Intramural Research Program highlights Dr. Kitahara's research on the impact of photon and proton therapies among childhood cancer survivors and their risk of second cancer.
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NIH Fellows’ Award for Research Excellence Winners
Ten DCEG fellows won the NIH Fellows’ Award for Research Excellence (FARE), which recognizes outstanding scientific research performed by NIH intramural postdoctoral fellows.
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Danping Liu Awarded Scientific Tenure by the NIH
In August 2024, Dr. Danping Liu was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH and promoted to senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch. Dr. Liu is recognized for his expertise in longitudinal data methodology, risk prediction modeling, biomarker data analyses, missing data methods, and cancer registry linkage.
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Nicolas Wentzensen Talks About Self-Collection in the NCI Cancer Currents Blog
Nicolas Wentzensen discusses the recent FDA approval of self-collection kits for use in clinics for cervical cancer screening. His interview was published in the NCI Cancer Currents Research Blog.
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Nan Hu Retires after 32 Years of Service
Dr. Hu has integrated her training, experience, and skill in widely-varied but complementary disciplines—molecular genetics, bench work, epidemiologic field studies, and statistical analysis—to play a fundamental role in research on the etiology, prevention, and early detection of upper gastrointestinal cancers.
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Staff Recognized for Outstanding Papers
Recipients of DCEG's Outstanding Paper Award are recognized for outstanding research papers published in 2023. Winners demonstrate impact, innovation, and clarity of thought and language.
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2024 Society for Epidemiologic Research Annual Meeting Attended by DCEG Scientists
In June, the 2024 Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas was attended by DCEG scientists. Caroline Pruitt, postbaccalaureate fellow in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, received the Kathy Rose Travel Scholarship, sponsored by SER and DLH Holdings Corporation.
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Megan Frone and Jessica Hatton Received 2024 ClinGen Significant Contributor Awards
Genetic counselors in the Clinical Genetics Branch, Megan Frone, M.S., C.G.C., and Jessica Hatton, M.S., C.G.C., were recognized with 2024 Significant Contributor Awards by ClinGen, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded resource dedicated to building an authoritative central resource that defines the clinical relevance of genes and variants for use in precision medicine and research.
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"A Fatal Inheritance" Author Larry Ingrassia Discusses His New Book
Lawrence “Larry” Ingrassia talked about the evolution of his book, "A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Medical Mystery," and his engagement with LFS researchers, including Dr. Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr. The seminar at the National Cancer Institute drew an audience full of leading researchers in cancer epidemiology and genetics.