EGRP Reorganizes To Better Address Today’s Cancer Epidemiological Scientific Questions
Deborah M. Winn
Acting Associate
Director
EGRP reorganized in early 2007 to better advance and serve today’s scientific
questions in cancer epidemiology research. The vast majority of cancer epidemiologic
studies today involve genetic and molecular methods. Moreover, they have grown
more complex, and studies have needed to become larger to be of sufficient size
to explore gene and environment interactions. The new structure better represents
the different facets of epidemiologic research today, and the increase from two
to four Branches recognizes
the size of EGRP’s grant portfolio, which is the largest in the Division
of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS).
“We are now positioned to better lead and serve the field and
our investigators,” said EGRP Acting Associate Director Deborah
(Debbie) M. Winn, Ph.D., who spearheaded the reorganization.
For Principal Investigators and prospective grantees, the reorganization
may necessitate some changes in assignment of grants and applications
among EGRP Program Directors. EGRP is working hard to make any transitions
as smooth as possible. Program Directors are accustomed to backing up
one another and have some familiarity with each other’s research
portfolios.
The new EGRP consists of the Office of the Associate Director and four
Branches that address specific aspects of research on cancer epidemiology:
- Modifiable Risk Factors Branch—focusing on
factors that may be modifiable, such as diet and nutrition, alcohol,
physical activity and energy balance, tobacco, infectious diseases,
physical and chemical agents, and medical exposures, including medications
and treatments;
- Host Susceptibility Factors Branch—focusing
on personal susceptibility factors such as genetic, epigenetic, immunological
and hormonal biological pathways, and social, cultural and race/ethnic
factors;
- Methods and Technologies Branch—focusing on
methods to address epidemiologic data collection, study design and
analysis, and to modify technological approaches developed in the context
of other research endeavors for use as biomarkers and methods to understand
cancer susceptibility; and
- Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Branch—focusing
on clinical factors that influence development of cancer among persons
with underlying diseases and conditions; the progression, recurrence,
and mortality from cancer; and new primary cancers.
The new organizational structure facilitates the formation and
strengthening of partnerships between the Branches and potential collaborators,
for example, between the Modifiable Risk Factors Branch and cancer control
activities within DCCPS, or between the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology
Branch and clinical applications of epidemiologic research. The four
Branch Chief positions were advertised via USAJOBS, the Federal
Government’s jobs Web site, and two permanent Chiefs have been appointed for the Modifiable Risk Factors Branch (MRFB) and the Methods and Technologies Branch (MTB). The other two branches continue to have acting Branch Chiefs while the search for permanent appointees continues.
The scientists who are serving as permanent and acting Branch Chiefs are:
|
Britt Reid, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chief
Modifiable
Risk Factors Branch (MRFB) |
|
Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., Acting Chief
Host Susceptibility Factors Branch (HSFB) |
pictured
above |
Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., Chief
Methods and Technologies Branch (MTB) |
pictured
above |
Deborah (Debbie) M. Winn, Ph.D., Acting Chief
Clinical and Translational
Epidemiology Branch (CTEB) |
Staff assignments to the Office of the Associate Director and by Branch:
Office of the Associate Director
Deborah (Debbie) M. Winn, Ph.D., EGRP Acting Associate Director
Chinonye (Nonye) Harvey, M.P.H., Program Analyst
Danielle Fenwick, Administrative Career Development Intern
Diane Horn-Cruder, Program Analyst
Shannon Lynch, M.P.H., Program Analyst
Adrianne Overton, M.P.A., Program Analyst
Scott Rogers, M.P.H., Program Analyst
Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., Scientific Consortia Coordinator and
Program Director
Modifiable Risk Factors Branch
Britt C. Reid, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chief
Leah Sansbury, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Program Director
Vaurice Starks, Program Director
Host Susceptibility Factors Branch
Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., Acting Chief
Elizabeth (Liz) Gillanders, Ph.D., Program Director
Sheri Dixon Schully, Ph.D., Program Director
Methods and Technologies Branch
Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., Chief
Jay Choudhry, M.S., Program Director
Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Branch
Deborah (Debbie) M. Winn, Ph.D., Acting Chief
Isis S. Mikhail, M.D.,
M.P.H., Dr.P.H., Program Director
Carol Kasten, M.D., Medical Officer, Geneticist, and Project Officer
Updated January 2008
|