I am a cancer genetic and molecular epidemiologist in the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. My research is in the area of identification of factors influencing risk of cancer, as well as factors and biomarkers associated with early detection, prognosis and treatment outcomes, including miRNAs. My current research focuses on breast cancer, but I’m also involved in numerous other cancers through collaborations. One of my main research interests is in the discovery of clinical biomarkers in oncology. I have experience in a variety of different types of biomarkers (for example, protein, RNA, DNA) for use across the cancer care spectrum, including a highly cited article on circulating miRNAs for breast cancer detection.
My other main area of interest is the role of inherited genetic variation in cancer, and how genetic variations interact with lifestyle or behavior to influence risk of or outcomes for cancer. An area of specialization that I have had is in the association of obesity and energetics and genetic pathways related to metabolism and energetics with cancer. I was recently the first scientist to report the association of short sleep with having more aggressive types of breast cancer. I am currently actively working on following up on this discovery as well as the identification of other genetic and lifestyle variants associated with cancer.
