Methods and Technologies Branch (MTB)

The Methods and Technologies Branch (MTB) focuses 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.

MTB's mission is to plan, develop, direct, coordinate, and evaluate a comprehensive program of extramural research related to epidemiologic methods to:

• Address epidemiologic research issues and translate technological approaches developed in the context of other research endeavors to development of biomarkers of risk susceptibility and to cancer epidemiologic settings;
• Translate paradigms and findings from basic biological sciences into epidemiologic studies and ensure that epidemiologic findings can be used to identify research directions in the basic sciences;
• Improve epidemiologic study data collection, study designs, and analysis; and
• Assess the reliability and validity of methods and technologies for use in epidemiologic studies and ensure that these methods are sufficiently robust to use in epidemiologic data collection settings.

It also disseminates findings from the research supported by the Branch to epidemiologists, the public, health care professionals, scientists engaged in cancer control, and the public health community.