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DCEG Working Groups

DCEG scientists form collaborative working groups to enhance the exchange of information and support interdisciplinary approaches to epidemiological and genetic research. Working groups draw their members from across the Division and other organizations in NCI, enabling them to apply a wide range of expertise to the study of complex questions.

  • Energy Balance Working Group – investigates the mechanisms underpinning the association of obesity/physical activity with the risks of cancer. Contact: Charles E. Matthews, Ph.D.
  • Thyroid Cancer Working Group – collaborates on studies related to thyroid cancer, including environmental and radiation exposures, lifestyle and nutritional exposures, molecular tumor markers, pathway-based candidate gene studies, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Contact: Alice J. Sigurdson, Ph.D.
  • Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Working Group – conducts studies of esophageal and gastric cancer in the US and elsewhere. Contact: Christian C. Abnet, Ph.D., M.P.H.
  • Exposure Assessment Working Group – fosters the development, evaluation, and application of new exposure assessment technology and methods, in both existing and planned studies, with an emphasis on cohort studies. Contact: Melissa Friesen, Ph.D.
  • Tobacco Control Science Working Group – encourages etiologic research especially relevant to tobacco control, in partnership with DCCPS and the Intramural Center for Tobacco Regulatory Sciences (a joint effort of NIH and FDA).  Contact: Neal D. Freedman, Ph.D.
  • Registry Database Studies Working Group – focuses on identifying and understanding cancer risk factors through studying the linkages between cancer registries and large databases that contain information on medical conditions, treatments, and laboratory tests.  Contact: Eric A. Engels, MD., M.P.H.
  • Africa Working Group – includes members conducting studies in 14 countries across the African continent, in order to gain new etiologic insights into cancer in Africa while reducing its burden.  Contact: Sanford M. Dawsey, M.D.
  • Metabolomics Working Group – studies small-molecule metabolites as indicators of exposure and future cancer risk.  Contact: Steven C. Moore, Ph.D.(moorest@mail.nih.gov).
  • Immune Marker Working Group – includes members evaluating the association between immune/inflammatory markers and cancer risk.  Contact: Anil K. Chaturvedi, Ph.D.
  • Epigenetic Epidemiology Working Group – studies changes in gene expression that occur without altering the primary DNA sequence, including DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs and chromatin-histone modifications. Contact: Paula Hyland, Ph.D., M.P.H. (hylandpl@mail.nih.gov).