Epidemiology

Take courses and advance your skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical trials, informatics, survey research, program evaluation, implementation science and more. Courses are offered through the Master of Public Health program in the School of Medicine. Tuition assistance is available for eligible employees. Read More

Vitamin D protection against colon cancer varies according to parathyroid hormone response, particularly among women. Read More

A new study from Vanderbilt epidemiologists suggests that it’s time to reconsider clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer in older women. Read More

Vanderbilt epidemiologists identified new markers for colorectal cancer risk and characterized a previously unidentified tumor suppressor that regulates overall tumor volume in vivo. Read More

An international group of researchers including Vanderbilt epidemiologists has identified new DNA methylation biomarkers associated with prostate cancer risk. Read More

New findings demonstrate how genetic variations in the receptor that binds SARS-CoV-2 impact virus recognition and infectivity and offer insights to COVID-19 susceptibility and treatment. Read More

Appendiceal cancer — cancer of the appendix — is a rare malignancy that is usually found during surgery for acute appendicitis. Although the rate of appendectomies has been stable over the last two decades, the incidence of malignant appendiceal cancer increased 232% in the United States. Read More

Red and processed meat intakes are strongly associated with increased risk of sessile serrated polyps, which are not as well studied as conventional adenomas. Read More

Genetic analyses suggest that high circulating HDL-cholesterol levels may increase breast cancer risk — a surprising finding since increased HDL-cholesterol is thought to be healthy. Read More

An analysis of more than 140,000 people of European ancestry has identified blood protein biomarkers associated with prostate cancer risk. Read More

Gene variants associated with cancer risk appear to contribute to carcinogenesis by regulating target genes that in turn promote the generation of mutations. Read More

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has awarded two Vanderbilt epidemiologists the Memorabilia Medal “For the People’s Health” in appreciation of their contributions in helping the nation establish a population-based research program for cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Read More

Biomarkers of DNA methylation, which regulate gene expression, can be a predictor of breast cancer risk. Read More

Microbial species in the mouth could be playing a role in colorectal cancer development, according to new research from epidemiologists at VUMC. Read More

The report authored by Margaret Adgent adds to the increasing evidence supporting the reproductive health consequences of early-life exposure to soy formula. Read More

A recent study led by Xiao-Ou Shu and colleagues found that green tea drinking was associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults, possibly due to the use of pesticides on tea plants--though the researchers call for further study of the exact mechanism. Read More

A trans-institutional team of researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University has received an $11 million Cancer Moonshot grant to build a single-cell resolution atlas to map out the routes that benign colonic polyps take to progress to colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer among both men and women in the United States. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have conducted a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study of lung cancer survival in African-Americans. Read More

Smoking is deleterious to health, but smokers who prefer menthol cigarettes to nonmenthol can breathe a sigh of relief…for now. Read More

A new epidemiological study supports smoking cessation and avoidance of sedentary lifestyle as cancer prevention measures. Read More