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About Health Promotion Research: Staff Expertise



Tanya Agurs-Collins, PhD, RD
Program Director/Nutritionist
Health Promotion Research Branch
Behavioral Research Program

Tanya Agurs-Collins, Ph.D. has been a Program Director/Nutritionist at the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Behavioral Research Program, Health Promotion Research Branch since October 2004. Before joining NCI, Dr. Agurs-Collins was an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine and nutritional epidemiologist at the Howard University Cancer Center in Washington, DC (1995-2004). During that time, Dr. Agurs-Collins conducted research in the areas of sex steroid hormones, growth hormones, nutrition, physical activity, over weight/obesity in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer risk.

Dr. Agurs-Collins received her Ph.D. in Nutrition with an epidemiology, gerontology, and behavior focus from the Pennsylvania State University in 1995. Her research interests include sex steroid hormones, IGF-1, diet, obesity, and cancer risk in ethnic/minority populations; gene-environment-behavior interactions and obesity/cancer risk.

Select Publications and Presentations

Rohrmann S, Sutcliffe C, Bienstock JL, Monsegue M, Bradwin G, Rifai N, Pollak MN, Agurs-Collins T, Platz EA. Racial variation in sex steroid hormones and the insulin-like growth factor axis in umbilical cord blood of male neonates. (in press). Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

Tamers S, Agurs-Collins T, Dodd K. U.S. and France Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Patterns: An International Comparison. European Clinical Journal of Nutrition. 62(4), 2008.

Fuemmeler, BF , Agurs-Collins, T, McClernon, FJ, Kollins, SH, Kail, ME, Bergen AW, Ashley-Koch, AE. Genes implicated in serotonergic and dopamine functioning interact with gender to predict BMI categories: Findings from a nationally representative sample of young adults. Obesity. 16(2):348-55, 2008.

Agurs- Collins T, Muin JK, Simon-Morton D, Olster DH, Harris JR, Milner JA. Public Health Genomics: Translating Obesity Genomics Research into Population Health Benefits. Obesity. 16(Sup 3) 2008.

Agurs-Collins T and Bouchard C. Gene-Nutrition and Gene-Physical Activity Interactions in the Etiology of Obesity. Obesity. 16 (Sup 3) 2008.

Mâsse, LC, Frosh, M., Chriqui, JF, Yaroch, AL, Agurs-Collins, T, Blanck, HM, Atienza, AA, McKenna, ML, & Igoe, JF. Development of a school nutrition-environment state policy classification system (SNESPCS). American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 33(4S):S277-S291, 2007.

Agurs-Collins T, Makambi K, Smoot D, Adams-Campbell L. Diet and Adenoma Risk in African Americans. Journal of the National Black Nurses Association. 17(2)6-12, 2006.

Shikany JM, Patterson RE, Agurs-Collins T, Anderson G. Antioxidant Supplement Use in Women’s Health Initiative Participants. Preventive Medicine. 36(3)379-87, 2003.

Barr SI, Murphy SP, Agurs-Collins T, Poos M. Planning Diets for Individuals. Using the Dietary Reference Intakes. Nutrition Reviews. 61(10): 352-360, 2003.

Agurs-Collins, T. The role of insulin-like growth factors and breast cancer risk. ON-LINE. 10(4):1-8, 2002.

Agurs-Collins TD, Adams-Campbell LL, Kim KS, Cullen K. The Relationship Between Insulin Growth Factor-1 and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Among African-American Women. Cancer Detection and Prevention, 24(3): 199-206, 2000.

Casso D, White E, Patterson R, Agurs-Collins T, Kooperberg C, Haines P. Correlates of Serum Lycopene in Older Women. Nutrition and Cancer. 36(2): 163-169, 2000.

Agurs-Collins TD and Watson EL. Weight, Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors and Risk for Osteoporosis. J Nutr Elderly. 18(1) 15-26, 1999.

Patterson R, Kristal A, Carter R, Fels-Tinker L, Bolton MP Agurs-Collins T. Measurement Characteristics of the Women’s Health Initiative Food Frequency Questionnaire. Annals of Epidemiology. 9:178-197, 1999.

Kumanyika SK, Agurs-Collins TD. Response to Gregg and Narayan: Culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions in minority populations: more than what meets the eye? Diabetes Care. 21(5):876, 1998.

Agurs-Collins TD, Kim KS, Dunston GM, Adams-Campbell LL. Plasma Lipid Alterations in African-American Women with Breast Cancer. J. Cancer Res. Clin. Oncol. 124:186-190, 1998.

Agurs-Collins TD, Kumanyika SK, Ten Have T, Adams-Campbell L. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Weight Reduction and Exercise for Diabetes Management in Older African Americans. Diabetes Care. 20(10):1503-1511, 1997.

Airhihenbuwa CO, Kumanyika SK, Agurs TD, Lowe A, Saunders D, Morssink CB. Cultural Aspects of African-American Eating Patterns. Ethnicity and Health. 1(3): 245-260, 1996.

Airhihenbuwa CO, Kumanyika SK, Agurs TD, Lowe A, Saunders D. Perceptions and Beliefs About Physical Activity, Exercise, and Rest Among African-Americans. American Journal of Health Promotion. 9(6): 426-429, 1995.

Adams-Campbell LL, Agurs TD, Ukoli FA: Dietary Assessment In Nigerian Woman: A Pilot Study. Ethnicity and Disease. 3(Suppl):S62-S66 1993.

Kumanyika SK, Morssink C, Agurs T. Models for Dietary and Weight Change in African-American Women: Identifying Cultural Components. Ethnicity and Disease. 2(2):166-175, 1992.

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Last Updated: January 4, 2008

 

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