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Genetic Associations and Mechanisms in Oncology (GAME-ON) Initiative

• Project Leadership and Key Personnel
• Steering Committee
• External Advisory Committee
• NCI Program Officers

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Project Leadership and Key Personnel

All of the projects use NIH’s Multiple Principal Investigator model, in which a lead institution collaborates with multiple sites in the U.S. and internationally. The key personnel for each project are listed below.

• ColoRectal Transdisciplinary Study (CORECT)
• Discovery, Biology, and Risk of Inherited Variants in Breast Cancer (DRIVE)
• Elucidating Loci Involved in Prostate Cancer Susceptibility (ELLIPSE)
• Follow-up of Ovarian Cancer Genetic Association and Interaction Studies (FOCI)
• Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung (TRICL)

ColoRectal Transdisciplinary Study (CORECT) (View abstract)

• Administrative Core
  • Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., University of Southern California – Contact PI (bio)
  • Bhramar Mukherjee, Ph.D., University of Michigan (bio)
• Project 1: Discovery, Expansion, and Replication
  • Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., University of Southern California - Contact PI, Project Leader (bio)
• Project 2: Biological Studies
  • Graham Casey, Ph.D., University of Southern California - Co-PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., University of Southern California - Contact PI (bio)
  • Chris Carlson, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (bio)
  • Gerhard Coetzee, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • David Conti, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Kimberly Siegmund, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
• Project 3: Epidemiologic Studies
  • Duncan Thomas, Ph.D., University of Southern California - Co-PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Ulrike Peters, Ph.D., M.P.H., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - Co-PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Peter Campbell, Ph.D., American Cancer Society (bio)
  • W. James Gauderman, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Li Hsu, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (bio)
  • Shu-Chen Huang, University of Michigan
  • Eric Jacobs, Ph.D., American Cancer Society (bio)
  • Mark Jenkins, Ph.D., University of Melbourne (bio)
  • Charles Kooperberg, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (bio)
  • Juan Lewinger, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Bhramar Mukherjee, Ph.D., University of Michigan (bio)
  • Kimberly Siegmund, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)

Discovery, Biology, and Risk of Inherited Variants in Breast Cancer (DRIVE) (View abstract)

• Administrative Core
  • David Hunter, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., Harvard University – Contact PI (bio)
• Project 1: Discovery, Expansion, and Replication
  • Douglas Easton, Ph.D., Strangeways Research Lab – Coordinating PI (bio)
  • Habibul Ahsan, M.D., Ph.D., University of Chicago – PI (bio)
  • Federico Canzian, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Stephen Chanock, M.D., National Cancer Institute – PI (bio)
  • Gary Chen, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Laure Dossus, Ph.D., INSERM (bio)
  • Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., University of Southern California – PI (bio)
  • Brian Henderson, M.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • David Hunter, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., Harvard University – Contact PI (bio)
  • Rudolf Kaaks, C.M.Sc., Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) – PI (bio)
  • Muhammad Kibriya, M.D., Ph.D., University of Chicago (bio)
  • Ross Prentice, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (bio)
  • Alice Whittemore, Ph.D., Stanford University – PI (bio)
  • Wei Zheng, Ph.D., M.D., Vanderbilt University – PI (bio)
• Project 2: Biological Studies
  • John Quackenbush, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – Coordinating PI (bio)
  • Joan Brugge, Ph.D., Harvard University – PI (bio)
  • Matthew Freedman, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – PI (bio)
  • Rulla Tamimi, Sc.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital – PI
  • Susan Hankinson, Sc.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital (bio)
  • Aditi Hazra, Ph.D., Brigham and Women’s Hospital (bio)
  • Alexander Miron, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (bio)
• Project 3: Epidemiologic Studies
  • Peter Kraft, Ph.D., Harvard University – Coordinating PI (bio)
  • Jack Cuzick, Ph.D., Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine – PI (bio)
  • Judy Garber, M.D., M.P.H., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute – PI (bio)
  • David Goldgar, Ph.D., University of Utah – PI (bio)

Elucidating Loci Involved in Prostate Cancer Susceptibility (ELLIPSE) (View abstract)

• Administrative Core
  • Brian Henderson, M.D., University of Southern California – Contact PI (bio)
  • Stephen Chanock, M.D., National Cancer Institute (bio)
  • Douglas Easton, Ph.D., University of Cambridge (bio)
  • Rosalind Eeles, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.R., The Institute of Cancer Research (bio)
  • Matthew Freedman, M.D., Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (bio)
  • Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., University of Southern California (bio)
• Project 1: Discovery, Expansion, Replication
  • Douglas Easton, Ph.D., University of Cambridge – Coordinating PI (bio)
  • Federico Canzian, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Gary Chen, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Rudolf Kaaks, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Peter Kraft, Ph.D., Harvard University (bio)
  • Timothy Rebbeck, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (bio)
  • Daniel Stram, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
• Project 2: Functional Consequences of Prostate Cancer Risk Loci
  • Matthew Freedman, M.D., Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center – Coordinating P (bio)
  • Jiyoung Ahn, D.Phil., Ph.D., New York University
  • Gerhard Coetzee, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Greg Crawford, Ph.D., Duke University (bio)
  • Richard Flavin, M.D., Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (bio)
  • Richard Hayes, D.D.S., Ph.D., New York University
  • Jonathan Melamed, M.D., New York University
  • Ian Mills, Ph.D., Center for Molecular Medicine Norway (bio)
  • David Neal, B.Sc., M.S., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.S.(Ed), F.MED.SCI., University of Cambridge (bio)
  • Itshack Pe'er, Ph.D., M.D., Columbia University (bio)
  • Zoltan Szallasi, M.D., Children's Hospital Boston (bio)
• Project 3: Epidemiological and Clinical Translational Studies Post-GWAS
  • Rosalind Eeles, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.R., The Institute of Cancer Research – Coordinating PI (bio)
  • Frederick Schumacher, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Federico Canzian, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Rudolf Kaaks, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Peter Kraft, Ph.D., Harvard University (bio)
  • Kristine Monroe, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Timothy Rebbeck, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (bio)

Follow-up of Ovarian Cancer Genetic Association and Interaction Studies (FOCI) (View abstract)

• Administrative Core
  • Thomas Sellers, Ph.D., M.P.H., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute – Contact PI (bio)
  • David Fenstermacher, Ph.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (bio)
• Project 1: Ovarian Cancer GWAS Discovery, Expansion, and Replication
  • Thomas Sellers, Ph.D., M.P.H., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute – Project Leader (bio)
  • Ellen Goode, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Rochester (bio)
  • Paul Pharoah, M.D., Ph.D., University of Cambridge (bio)
  • Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Ph.D., Queensland Institute of Medical Research (bio)
  • Brooke Fridley, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Rochester (bio)
  • Hui-Yi Lin, Ph.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (bio)
• Project 2: Functional Assessment of Genes and Common Genetic Risk Variants in Ovarian Cancer
  • Alvaro Monteiro, Ph.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute – Project Leader (bio)
  • Greg Bloom, Ph.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (bio)
  • Simon Gayther, Ph.D., University of Southern California (bio)
  • Catherine Phelan, Ph.D., M.D., M.M.S., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research (bio)
  • Susan Ramus, Ph.D., University College of London (bio)
• Project 3: Genetic and Environmental Interaction Analyses and Risk Prediction Modeling
  • Joellen Schildkraut, Ph.D., M.P.H., Duke University – Project Leader (bio)
  • Andrew Berchuck, Ph.D., Duke University (bio)
  • Merlise Clyde, Ph.D., Duke University (bio)
  • Edwin Iversen, Ph.D., Duke University (bio)
  • Patricia Moorman, Ph.D., Duke University (bio)
  • Celeste Leigh Pearce, Ph.D., M.P.H., USC (bio)
  • Harvey Risch, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University (bio)
  • Mary Ann Rossing, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (bio)
  • Anna Wu, Ph.D., M.P.H., USC (bio)

Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung (TRICL) (View abstract)

• Administrative Core
  • Christopher Amos, Ph.D., Dartmouth College - PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Rayjean Hung, Ph.D., Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, Ontario) – PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Mala Pande, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Margaret Spitz, M.D., Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine
• Project 1: Discovery and Replication

  Key Personnel

  • Christopher Amos, Ph.D., Dartmouth College - PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Paul Brennan, Ph.D., International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Paolo Boffetta, M.D., M.P.H., Mount Sinai School of Medicine – PI (bio)
  • Richard Houlston, Ph.D., The Institute of Cancer Research – PI (bio)
  • Rayjean Hung, Ph.D., Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, Ontario) – PI (bio)
  • Thorunn Rafnar, Ph.D., deCODE Genetics Inc. – PI
  • Hongbing Shen, M.D., Ph.D., Nanjing Medical University – PI (bio)
  • Ann Schwartz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Wayne State University – PI (bio)
  • H. Erich Wichmann, M.D., Ph.D., University of Munich – PI
  • Heike Bickeböller, Ph.D., University of Göttingen (bio)
  • James McKay, Ph.D., IARC (bio)
  • Paul Scheet, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Mala Pande, Ph.D.. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Clive Hoggart, Ph.D., Imperial College (bio)
  • Ignacio Wistuba, M.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Paolo Vineis, M.D., Ph.D., Imperial College (bio)

  Additional Personnel

  • Melanie Sohns, Ph.D., University of Göttingen
  • Yufei Wang, Ph.D., The Institute of Cancer Research
  • Tere Landi, M.D., Ph.D., National Cancer Institute (bio)
  • Gudmar Thorfeifsson, Ph.D., deCODE Genetics Inc.
  • Maria Timofeeva, Ph.D., International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
  • Nilanjan Chatterjee, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute (bio)
  • John Field, Ph.D., The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
• Project 2: Functional Validation – Biological Studies

  Key Personnel

  • Ming You, M.D., Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin – PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Christoph Plass, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) – PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Mariella De Biasi, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine (bio)
  • Jay Tichelaar, Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin (bio)
  • Haris Vikis, Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin (bio)
  • Michael James, Medical College of Wisconsin (bio)
  • Angela Risch, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Ann Schwartz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Wayne State University (bio)

  Additional Personnel

  • Donghai Xiong, Ph.D., Medical College of Wisconsin (bio)
  • Dieter Weichenhan, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
  • Wolfgang Hagmann, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (bio)
• Project 3:

  Key Personnel

  • Loic Le Marchand, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii – PI, Project Leader (bio)
  • Paolo Vineis, M.D., Ph.D., Imperial College (bio)
  • Jiali Han, Ph.D., Harvard University (bio)
  • Margaret Spitz, M.D., M.P.H., Baylor College of Medicine
  • Laura Jean Beirut, M.D., Washington University in St. Louis (bio)
  • Lynne Wilkens, Dr.P.H., Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii (bio)
  • Iona Cheng, Ph.D., M.P.H., Cancer Prevention Institute of California
  • Hansong Wang, Ph.D., University of Hawai'i Cancer Center (bio)
  • Jing Ma, Ph.D., M.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital (bio)
  • David Hunter, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., Harvard University (bio)
  • Mala Pande, Ph.D.. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (bio)
  • Clive Hoggart, Ph.D., Imperial College (bio)

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Steering Committee

Management of GAME-ON is coordinated through the GAME-ON Steering Committee. The Steering Committee includes Program Officers from the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) and the Division of Cancer Biology (DCB) as well as investigators from each of the five cancer site projects.

Voting Members

• Christopher Amos, Ph.D.*, Dartmouth College
• Graham Casey, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Rosalind Eeles, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.R., The Institute of Cancer Research
• Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., University of Southern California
• Brian Henderson, M.D.*, University of Southern California
• David Hunter, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., Harvard University School of Public Health
• Loic Le Marchand, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii
• Paul Pharoah, M.D., Ph.D., University of Cambridge
• John Quackenbush, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Thomas Sellers, Ph.D., M.P.H., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

* Steering Committee Co-Chair

Non-Voting Members

• Habibul Ahsan, M.D., Ph.D., University of Chicago
• Gerhard Coetzee, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Jack Cuzick, Ph.D., Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine
• Malcolm Dunlop, M.D., Medical Research Council
• Douglas Easton, Ph.D., University of Cambridge
• Matthew Freedman, M.D., Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
• Simon Gayther, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., University of Southern California
• Rayjean Hung, Ph.D., Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, Ontario)
• Maria Teresa Landi, M.D., Ph.D., National Cancer Institute
• Alvaro Monteiro, Ph.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
• Ulrike Peters, Ph.D., M.P.H., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Angela Risch, Ph.D., German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
• Joellen Schildkraut, Ph.D., M.P.H., Duke University
• Fredrick Schumacher, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Duncan Thomas, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• Ming You, M.D., Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis
• Wei Zheng, Ph.D., M.D., Vanderbilt University

NCI Participants

• Jennifer Couch, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology
• Elizabeth Gillanders, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
• Cheryl Marks Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology
• Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
• Stephen Chanock, M.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics

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External Advisory Committee

The External Advisory Committee will advise NCI on the overall progress of the Initiative, provide scientific advice to the Steering Committee and Principal Investigators on the overall conduct of the studies, and suggest future courses of action. Committee members were selected based on their areas of expertise.

External Advisory Committee Members:

• Colin Begg, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (bio, pubs)
• Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., University of Michigan (bio, pubs)
• Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University (bio, pubs)
• Adi Gazdar, M.B.B.S., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (bio, pubs)
• Malcolm Mason, M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.C.R., University of Wales (bio, pubs)
• Deborah Nickerson, Ph.D. (bio, pubs)
• Olofunmilayo Olopade, M.D., F.A.C.P., University of Chicago (bio, pubs)
• Gloria Petersen, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic (bio, pubs)
• Sylvia Plevritis, Ph.D., Stanford University (bio, pubs)
• Sylvia Rickard, Utah Breast Cancer Network
• Paul Spellman, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University (bio, pubs)

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NCI Program Officers

For cancer epidemiology questions:

• Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H.
  E-mail: seminard@mail.nih.gov

For basic science questions:

• Jennifer Couch, Ph.D.
  E-mail: couchj@mail.nih.gov
• Cheryl Marks, Ph.D.
  E-mail: cm74v@nih.gov

For questions related to the GAME-ON grant awards:

• Scott Rogers, M.P.H.
  E-mail: rogerssc@mail.nih.gov

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