2023 - News Updates
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Mary Lou McMaster, Senior Clinician Specialist, Retires from DCEG
Mary L. McMaster, M.D., senior clinical specialist in the clinical genetics Branch, and captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, retired from DCEG in December 2023. Dr. McMaster devoted nearly 25 years to longitudinal studies of families with rare cancer predisposition syndromes.
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2024 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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Poor Sleep Quality Associated with Increased Prostate Cancer Risk
Poor sleep quality, as measured by accelerometers, was associated with a 15-20% greater risk of prostate cancer in a study of over 30,000 men in the UK Biobank. Neither sleep duration nor sleep timing were associated with prostate cancer risk. These novel findings need to be replicated in future studies and in more diverse study populations.
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Differences in Knowledge of HPV and the HPV Vaccine by Education, Race, and Ethnicity
Ms. Erica Stephens and Dr. Jaimie Shing used data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults to ascertain awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine, as well as knowledge that HPV can cause cancers, by educational attainment, race, and ethnicity. They found profound disparities that signal the importance of continued education around HPV and the HPV vaccine.
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Clinical Director’s Corner: New Infrastructure for Family Studies’ Data
Sharon Savage, M.D., DCEG Clinical Director, describes the new, modern infrastructure for Family Studies conducted by the Clinical Genetics Branch. CHARMS is an interactive patient- and provider-facing platform for the recruitment and management of participants in CGB studies. "Clinical Director's Corner" is a new, recurring feature of Linkage, DCEG's newsletter. It will alternate with updates from Pete Kraft, Ph.D., Director of the Trans-Divisional Research Program, and Jackie Lavigne, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director of the Office of Education.
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PFAS and Cancer: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch Research on “Forever Chemicals”
Researchers in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) investigate potential cancer risks associated with exposure to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” Learn about the findings from recent publications.
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2023 NCI Scientific Investigators Retreat
Constanza Camargo and Steve Moore presented their research at the annual NCI Scientific Investigators Retreat. Mia Gaudet received the Women Scientist Advisors Mentoring Award. Investigators from DCEG presented posters, engaged in small-group discussions, and learned about the research of their colleagues in the Center for Cancer Research.
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2023 iCURE Scholars Welcomed to DCEG
Atuahene Adu-Gyamfi, Quiera Booker, Macy Corley, Michael Kebede, Mona Miraftab, Paloma Mitra, and Erica Stephens are the 2023 incoming NCI Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (iCURE) Program Scholars.
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Biomarkers of Exposure to Combustion Products Associated with Esophageal Cancer
By-products of combustion—from pollution, cooking, heating, or other sources—were associated with elevated risk of esophageal cancer in a population without occupational exposure and where tobacco use is not common. Researchers from the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration, and laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Ultrafine Particulate Matter Associated with Lung Cancer
Ultrafine particulate matter found in traffic-related air pollution—particularly long-term exposure—is associated with elevated risk of lung cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma of the lung. Rena Jones and Debra Silverman in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) conducted the study in a population of residents in California.
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Health Equity Retreat: Opportunity to Envision DCEG Research Infrastructure
On October 6, 2023, investigators, fellows, and staff across DCEG met in person and online for a discussion of the future of health disparities and health equity research in the Division. A new video about this research portfolio was launched the same week.
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Staff Recognized for Excellence at Fall 2023 Town Hall Meeting
Several awards were announced at the Fall 2023 hybrid Town Hall Meeting. They included DCEG Appreciation Award; Distinguished Scientific Service, and Outstanding Paper by a Staff Scientist and by a Fellow.
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2024 NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Awards
Jiyeon Choi, Haoyu Zhang, and Jessica Madrigal received 2024 NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Awards, which supports the development of highly innovative approaches and technology aimed at significant cancer–related problems.
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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 won 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.