Department of Epidemiology
Our Vision
We shall be the premiere epidemiology department with a transdiciplinary focus on:
- Fostering the highest quality epidemiologic research to assess the distribution and determinants of cancer with the aim of establishing preventive measures through traditional, molecular, and clinical epidemiology;
- Promoting translational research, including personalized medicine (risk prediction, therapy, and prevention), pharmacogenetics, public health genomics, pre-malignant genome atlas, survivorship and quality of life to bridge the gap between epidemiology and clinic and public health applications;
- Developing and maintaining institution-wide epidemiologic data, biospecimens, genomic resources and methodologiesto support research initiatives and serving as an institutional resource for epidemiologic consultation, collaboration, and service to connect epidemiology to basic science and clinical research;
- Nurturing a top mentoring and educational program providing training for the next generation of high-quality scientists in cancer risk assessment, prevention, and translational research;
Generating community-based prospective research in high-risk and minority/underserved populations and being a magnet for global collaboration.
Department Goal
To foster the highest quality epidemiologic research with the purpose of acquiring new knowledge related to the etiology and prevention of cancer and to serve as the institutional focus for innovative epidemiologic research, consultation and service.
Department Objectives
- Develop nationally and internationally recognized and well-funded multidisciplinary research programs in molecular, genetic and nutritional epidemiology
- Operate a molecular epidemiology research and resource laboratory that promotes collaborative and translational research
- Provide epidemiologic consultation, collaboration and service to support multidisciplinary basic science, clinical and translational research programs
- Support and expand educational programs and opportunities in cancer prevention that span the basic research, epidemiologic and clinical arenas
- Develop and maintain institution-wide epidemiologic data resources and methodologies to support faculty research initiatives
- Generate community-based prospective research in high-risk and minority/ underserved populations
Cancer of the Lung Evaluation and Assessment of Risk
The CLEAR lung cancer risk prediction tool can quantify a smoker’s risk of developing lung cancer in the next five, 10 or 15 years based on the person’s age, sex, smoking history, medical history, family history of cancer and past exposures to asbestos or wood dust. Information obtained from this risk tool can enable physicians and patients in making decisions about lung cancer screening options.
Learn more about the Cancer of the Lung Evaluation and Assessment of Risk (CLEAR).