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

	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)