Gilbert Wheeler Beebe, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading authorities on radiation effects, recently retired at age
89 after a spectacular 60-year research career. Although “officially” retired, he plans to remain at NCI as Scientist
Emeritus.
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and Belarus and at Columbia University, are studying two groups:
The professional accomplishments of Dr. Beebe are many and varied, but his personality never belies the fact that he is generally considered the leading expert on radiation epidemiology. Colleagues remember his sense of humor—which he never hesitates to use on himself—and his underlying respect for others. They also mention tenacity, thoroughness, and “going the step beyond where others are satisfied or just tired.” “He is a very unselfish person who works hard, accomplishes much, writes well, speaks his mind clearly, and is articulate and careful to acknowledge those to whom credit is due,” wrote Dr. A. Bertrand (Randy) Brill, a research professor at Vanderbilt University. “When asked for his comments he has always spoken out with a directness that I have found refreshing, even when it is something I did not want to hear.” Dr. Elena Buglova, from the Research Clinical Institute of Radiation Medicine and Endocrinology in Belarus, has worked closely with Dr. Beebe on the Chornobyl project. She called him “the father and grandfather of the project, advisor and consultant, expert and supervisor.” She recalled: “Meetings with Dr. Beebe were a practical school in epidemiology. But this school was more pleasant than the usual one because of the kind character of Gil and his sense of humor.” The first time Dr. Beebe cracked a joke, Dr. Buglova thought she had misunderstood his English—she did not expect “such a famous specialist” to say something funny. Dr. Scott Davis, now chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington, Seattle, first met Dr. Beebe when Dr. Davis was a newly minted Ph.D. working at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in Hiroshima. Dr. Davis was asked to present at the annual meeting of the Science Council findings from a study he initiated on pancreatic cancer. “This was a big event at RERF, with many dignitaries and experts in attendance,” recalled Dr. Davis in a recent letter to Dr. Beebe. “I was scared to death.” After the presentation, Dr. Beebe asked to meet Dr. Davis and discuss the work. “You listened intently as I described my projects in more detail, you offered insightful advice and suggestions, and above all you were incredibly supportive and encouraging,” remembered Dr. Davis. “Even though I was so clearly junior, you treated me like a colleague and with respect for my abilities and ideas. This made a huge impression on me at the time, motivated me to forge ahead at a critical juncture in my stay at RERF, and truly influenced my emerging interest in radiation studies.” Dr. Davis’ closing words to Dr. Beebe capture the feelings of all who have worked with this eminent researcher: “You are greatly admired not only for your insightful
scientific work and many contributions, but also for the kindness you show to others and the human touch that transcends all of your work.” |
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Captain Linda Morris Brown, Dr.P.H., of the Biostatistics Branch, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Claudine Samanic, M.S.P.H., of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch, were among the PHS Commissioned Corps Readiness Force (CCRF) officers deployed to assist in the relief effort. CAPT Brown helped contact members of the PHS-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team when it was assigned to a 10-day mission caring for injured rescue workers in New York. She then served as a liaison between team members and their families during the mission.
CAPT Brown and LTJG Samanic had just completed these tours when the first exposures to anthrax-contaminated mail were reported. As part of CCRF’s response, LTJG Samanic was deployed again, this time to work with DHHS Secretary Tommy Thompson’s Bioterrorism Emergency Command Center. CAPT Brown also was deployed, serving two tours as DHHS liaison to the Office of Homeland Security Emergency Support Team. In this role, she gathered information from DHHS on anthrax and other homeland health issues. The team, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, used this information to brief former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, Director of the Office of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, DCEG assessed its ability to respond to biological, chemical, or nuclear attacks, both at NIH and in general. At the request of DCEG Director Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., M.D., a working group headed by Neil Caporaso, M.D., of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch, examined the Division’s resources and expertise. The working group made eight recommendations:
Steven Simon, Ph.D., of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, also prepared a report on possible terrorist activities involving radiation. The report described sources of radioactive materials, types of possible nuclear terrorism, and ways in which DCEG could respond. Dr. Simon cautioned that atomic bombs do not constitute the only means of nuclear terrorism; a conventional explosion such as a plane crash or car bomb could mask the dispersion of radiation. He therefore recommended that specialized instruments and personnel trained to look for radiation be available at potential disaster sites. The researchers at DCEG, with their expertise in public health, molecular epidemiology, infectious diseases, chemical and radiation exposures, and statistics, represent a
valuable resource in combating bioterrorism. Although the Division would most likely be involved in long-term assessment of the effects of a bioterrorist attack, many in DCEG,
in addition to CAPT Brown and LTJG Samanic, can be called on to respond rapidly to a crisis. DCEG is creating a database of staff with specialized areas of expertise who could
assist in an emergency. |
DCEG DIVISION AND PROGRAM DIRECTORS RECEIVE NOTABLE AWARDS
2002 Dr. Nathan Davis Award 2001 John Snow Award |
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What is the function of the CGF? What are your plans for the laboratory? "The long-term, and for that matter, short-term effects of developing algorithms for correlating disease outcomes with genetic variation have implications for not only medical care, but also the way in which care is to be delivered and the way in which the public will decide many important political and social questions. Dr. Stephen Chanock"requests, we are concentrating on substantially increasing the number of available genotypes in coordination with NCI’s so-called “SNP 500,” which now exceeds 650 singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been resequenced in a reference set of 102 samples. We also intend to have project managers who will oversee the execution of work and be a clear reference point for communicating with principal investigators. We are hiring several persons with skill in applying current bioinformatic tools for genomic or genotype analysis.We plan to have “office hours” in Executive Plaza South, during which DCEG investigators can learn how to use the tools at the same time they search for suitable candidate genotypes for analysis. This added service should facilitate collaborations and the generation of data sets relevant to identifying functionally important SNPs. |
Following the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and on the World Trade Center, DCEG members responded through service as members of special PHS teams
and by strategically evaluating the staff and resources that could be mobilized in response to any future terrorist activities.
LTJG Samanic went to New York as one of 30 CCRF members that supported the Disaster Mortuary Response Team, a federal-level response team that assists in cases of mass fatality.
While there, she collected and entered reports of missing persons and processed medical and dental records. “One of the most difficult things to deal with was seeing the names,
photographs, and personal information of all the victims,” she said. “Processing packages containing hair samples and other items submitted for DNA recovery made us think of those
who took the time to pack and send such items, and what they must have been feeling.”
Two pillars of the DCEG community recently received prestigious awards in recognition of their contributions to the fields of cancer epidemiology and
public health.
In September, Stephen Chanock, M.D., was named the Acting Director of the NCI Core Genotyping Facility (CGF) located at the Advanced Technology Center. Dr. Chanock received
his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1983 and completed training in pediatrics, infectious diseases, and pediatric hematology/oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital
and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He joined NCI in 1991, where he has been investigating the molecular, cellular, and clinical problems of infectious complications in
patients with cancer and HIV infection. He also holds a dual appointment as a senior investigator in the Pediatric Oncology Branch of NCI’s Center for Cancer Research. DCEG
Linkage met with Dr. Chanock to discuss his plans for the future of the facility.|
What tangible benefits do you think we will see over the next few years as a result of the genetics work being done in DCEG? How will your training and experiences in infectious diseases and in pediatric hematology/oncology help you with your new mission? "The tangible benefits derived from DCEG studies will be based on sound epidemiologic and laboratory data and these benefits will also include our ability to advance analytical techniques in genotyping."of inflammation in the pathogenesis of certain cancers. How the host responds to infection can be modulated by common variants in critical genes of the immune pathways. Some of the same variants appear to influence the risk for acute and chronic infections. Understanding the general molecular principles behind diseases crosses over into many fields. While the specific genes, genetic pathways, or genetic alterations involved may be different for different diseases, some underlying principles are similar. From a clinical aspect, my experiences treating children with cancer not only taught me to think about the disease processes inherent to understanding cancer, but also put into perspective my personal and professional life. The world of pediatric oncology relies on a close interaction between family, patient, and medical team—one that is predicated on honest and, at times, frank and brutal discussions. The lessons learned can’t be forgotten and, in fact, remind us to be direct and decisive in making decisions. I can’t help but think that having treated individual children with cancer or other devastating diseases necessitates a degree of humility and, at the same time, a resolve to do something about it. So while the clinical perspective helps me have a better understanding of the applicability of what we are doing here in the CGF, the personal experiences of being a pediatric oncologist keep me motivated to figure out what causes cancer. You have had a role in running special programs for children with cancer. Has this role influenced your work? |
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Investigators in DCEG and the Department of Defense (DoD) are collaborating on a study of testicular germ cell tumors among U.S. military servicemen. This study will be the first large epidemiologic study to examine whether prediagnostic gonadotropin levels or endocrine modulators affect the risk of developing the tumor. In addition to having the optimal study population for testicular cancer, the DoD has an extremely valuable resource for case-control studies—the DoD Serum Repository. Begun in 1988 by the U.S. Army to store excess sera from HIV screening, the Repository now contains approximately 20 million serum samples from members of all service branches. The ability to link the Repository database with military medical records provides the possibility of examining many etiologic hypotheses for a wide variety of cancers and other diseases. Researchers are identifying
the case and control subjects for the study from among all men who have contributed samples to the DoD Serum Repository, and they are examining the serum samples for levels of
organochlorines, gonadotropins, and viruses. The researchers are also asking the men’s mothers to enroll in the study to provide invaluable information in determining the relationship
between maternal exposures or events and testicular cancers in sons. All case subjects, control subjects, and mothers will donate a buccal cell sample and complete an interviewer-
administered questionnaire. Researchers launched the study in February 2002 and anticipate the interview phase of the study will continue through mid-2003. Katherine McGlynn, Ph.D.,
of the Environmental Epidemiology Branch is leading the study, along with DCEG co-investigators Barry Graubard, Ph.D., Louise Brinton, Ph.D., Robert Hoover, M.D., and James Goedert,
M.D. |
NEW REPRESENTATIVES TO NIH FELLOWS COMMITTEE
FELCOM (http://www.felcom.nih.gov/) serves more than 3,000 fellows in training at NIH by sponsoring activities such as career development training and the Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE) travel competition, and by serving as a voice on important fellowship issues to the NIH leadership. We thank Tatiana Dracheva, Ph.D., of the Laboratory of Population Genetics and Dawn Elizabeth McNeil, M.D., of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch for serving as DCEG representatives
to FELCOM this past year. |
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Ms. Shaw is working primarily with Dr.Michael Alavanja, of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch, on the Agricultural Health Study examining the health implications of economic disparities between large and small farms. She is also exploring the possibility of working with Dr. Susan Devesa, of the Biostatistics Branch, to examine risk factors for prostate cancer and their relationship to the geographic distribution of mortality from this cancer. Finally, Dr. Linda Morris Brown, also of the Biostatistics Branch, will guide Ms. Shaw in a project exploring the causes for the higher rate of esophageal cancer among African Americans than among whites, by investigating racial differences with respect to genetic and molecular markers of susceptibility and their interaction with environmental and lifestyle factors. “My number one goal for my fellowship in DCEG is to gain experience in epidemiology prior to entering a graduate program in public health in the fall of 2002,” said Ms. Shaw. “By working on a project that requires me to know and use biostatistics, taking an introductory epidemiology course, and attending the DCEG seminars, I hope to be well prepared for graduate study.” This past summer, while completing her work in the NCI laboratory, Ms. Shaw attended the NCI Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention, offered through the Division of Cancer Prevention. This past fall, she enrolled in the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences course Introduction to Epidemiology, and she is learning biostatistics and SPSS. During her first months at DCEG, Ms. Shaw met daily with Dr. Alavanja for the hands-on guidance needed to launch her epidemiology research projects. Dr. Alavanja described being a mentor for a postbaccalaureate fellow as “an important and rewarding experience because of the potential positive influence you have on a young person’s professional development. A humbling experience with the realization that you really do have an influence. A hopeful experience—that is, giving your best will have a net positive effect. In practice, it’s simply fun, since Vanessa is such a sweet, hardworking, and bright person!” The NIH Academy Fellowship provides opportunities for recent college graduates to spend a year in biomedical research at NIH. Through these opportunities, the Academy aims to
enhance research dedicated to the elimination of domestic health disparities through the development of a diverse cadre of biomedical researchers. For more information about the
program, visit http://www.training.nih.gov. |
CLINICAL GENETICS BRANCH APPROVED AS CERTIFIED GENETIC COUNSELING SITE
Under the current program, students spend a two-month rotation in CGB gaining exposure to genetic counseling in the clinical research setting. Under the joint tutelage of Ms. Peters and Ann Carr, M.S., a genetic counselor with Westat, students encounter an array of medical, genetic, and psychosocial issues faced by individuals and families dealing with hereditary cancers. The first CGB intern, Elizabeth Lardy, arrived for her rotation in November. Ms. Peters said, “We are thrilled to be working with our first student from the NIH–Johns Hopkins University program, since their training is unique in the combination of clinical genetics, counseling, and research skills that the students acquire.” |
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Testicular tumors are the most common type of cancer among U.S. men aged 15 to 34 years. Because the military is largely composed of men in this age
range, testicular cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among this population. Known risk factors include prior history of testicular cancer, the failure of one or both
testes to descend into the scrotum, and a family history of testicular cancer. The risk attributable to these factors, however, is only between 10 and 15 percent; thus, the
majority of testicular cancer remains unexplained. Early age of onset and its association with undescended testis suggest, however, that the tumor may originate in utero.
In October, Sowmya Rao, Ph.D., of the Biostatistics Branch, and Sam Mbulaiteye, M.D., of the Viral Epidemiology Branch, began serving on the NIH Fellows Committee (FELCOM).
Before becoming an official member of FELCOM, Dr. Rao collaborated with Sholom Wacholder, Ph.D., of the Biostatistics Branch on the statistical analysis of an NIH Fellows Survey.
By joining the postdoctoral committee, Dr. Rao hopes “to ensure that our fellows’ experience meets or even exceeds their expectations.” Dr. Mbulaiteye, whose profile was featured
in the last issue of DCEG Linkage, aims “to bridge the gap between awareness and participation in FELCOM activities” during his service on the committee.
DCEG is pleased to welcome its first NIH Academy Fellow, Vanessa Shaw. A determined, hardworking student with academic and research training, Ms.
Shaw graduated in May 2000 from Hampton University in Virginia with a degree in biology. She entered the NIH Academy fellowship in September 2000, initially in an NCI
developmental biology laboratory, then joined DCEG beginning in September 2001.
This fall, the American Board of Genetic Counselors (ABGC) certified DCEG’s Clinical Genetics Branch (CGB)
as an approved training site for the joint NIH–Johns Hopkins University genetic counselor training program. Most genetic counselors hold a master’s degree from ABGC-accredited
programs and become board certified after passing the ABGC national certification examination. The CGB certification effort was led by genetic counselor June Peters, M.S., who
is also in the process of obtaining training accreditation with genetic counseling programs at Howard University and the University of Maryland. The November 2001 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine was a special volume of 15 papers on a series of pilot projects designed to assess the feasibility of conducting epidemiologic research on migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Shelia Zahm, Sc.D., DCEG’s Deputy Director, and Aaron Blair, Ph.D., of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch (OEB), served as guest editors. Together, they led a team of researchers and migrant healthcare workers from approximately 20 institutions on projects that addressed designing questionnaires, ascertaining pesticide exposures, tracing, evaluating cancer incidence and mortality, and establishing a cohort of farmworkers for future follow-up. Using an approach first designed at the University of Washington, this team developed a questionnaire to ascertain detailed occupational histories via a life events/icon calendar. The questionnaire, which also collected information on numerous cancer risk factors, was pretested in nine locations across the United States. OEB's Larry Engel, Ph.D., evaluated the questionnaire's "It is hoped that this work will stimulate and encourage other investigators to conduct research on farmworkers that will uncover clues to cancer etiology and lead to improvements in the health of this underserved population."reliability over time and its performance relative to a traditional method of collecting work histories. Joanne Colt, M.S., M.P.H., also of the OEB, assessed the comparability of work histories obtained from the farmworkers with proxy reports from their spouses. She also studied mortality patterns among farmworkers on the basis of death certificate data from 24 states. OEB members Mary H.Ward, Ph.D., and Patricia Stewart, Ph.D., reported on projects to impute the probability of pesticide exposure from the occupational histories. Other projects involved the correlation of biological measures of pesticide exposure to questionnaire data on work practices, comparisons of pesticide metabolites in maternal urine and cord blood, locating farmworkers 10 years after first contact, and a study of cancer incidence among members of the United Farmworkers of America. It is hoped that this work will stimulate and encourage other investigators to conduct research on farmworkers that will uncover clues to cancer etiology and lead to improvements in the health of this underserved population. -Shelia Zahm Sc.D.
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Intended as a tool for researchers trying to develop questionnaires, QMOD consists of a collection of 69 questionnaire modules and a search mechanism for finding modules that correspond to a given topic, investigator, or study title. There is also a list of references that could be helpful to the researcher in creating a questionnaire, as well as links to useful model questionnaires. Most of the modules in the collection come from questionnaires designed and used by DCEG researchers. These questionnaires have produced data that have been analyzed by DCEG researchers. The modules, selected for their clarity, sensitivity of language, and completeness, are usually accompanied by citations to articles describing the analysis results. It is hoped that other researchers can adapt the modules to their particular needs. QMOD has been used successfully by DCEG researchers for some time. With the new web site, scientists from other organizations can take advantage of these tools as well. |
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DCEG ALUMNI REUNION 2001 For the past 40 years, NCI has had an active, growing, world-class intramural research program in cancer epidemiology. Since its inception in 1961 with the arrival of Robert W. Miller, M.D., Dr.P.H., now Scientist Emeritus, the program has grown to eight branches and a staff of more than 200 and is now the DCEG. The Division has played a vital role in developing the field of cancer epidemiology and related areas. To celebrate four decades of epidemiologic research excellence, a DCEG Alumni Meeting was held during the June 2001 Congress of Epidemiology in Toronto. Over 400 former DCEG researchers (postdoctoral fellows, principal investigators, and visiting scientists) throughout the world were invited to the event, representing a vast array of careers, expertise, and institutions. The evening was a grand success. Highlights included warm and collegial reminiscences and an impressive photographic display of DCEG researchers throughout the decades, in
both serious and not-so-serious settings and attire. The photos had been provided by Division staff and assembled by Samantha Nhan, of DCEG’s Office of the Director. They revived
many fond memories and illustrated the amazing changes that have taken place at NCI over the years. The considerable effort that went into gathering alumni addresses and data on
professional interests will also provide a rich recruitment tool to advertise our fellowship programs and assist career placement for our pre- and postdoctoral fellows. |
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Biliary tract cancer, which encompasses cancers of the gallbladder, extrahepatic bile duct, and ampulla of Vater, is a rare cancer. Other than gallstones, the etiology of biliary tract cancer is poorly understood. In Shanghai, China, the incidence of biliary tract cancer is rising more rapidly than the incidence of any other malignancy. As in other countries, gallbladder cancer is the most common subsite and occurs more often among women than men. To further elucidate the etiology of biliary tract cancer and reasons for the rapid increase in incidence, Ann Hsing, Ph.D., of the Environmental Epidemiology Branch, joined forces with the Shanghai Cancer Institute and launched a collaborative study of biliary tract cancer in 1997. This complex, multidisciplinary, population-based case-control study is the largest and most comprehensive ever for biliary tract cancer. The study enrolled nearly 3,000 persons, including 891 case subjects with cancer (485 gallbladder, 278 bile duct, and 128 ampulla of Vater), 1,035 control subjects with gallstones, and 1,005 healthy subjects randomly selected from the population. Case ascertainment rate and response rates for interviews were more than 95 percent. The study has an extensive biochemical and molecular component, with more than 85 percent of the subjects providing 20 mL of fasting blood and 24-hour urine samples, along with the collection of bile samples, gallstones, and fresh and fixed tissue samples from patients undergoing surgical resection of the biliary tract.
The NCI–China Collaborative Biliary Tract Cancer Study provides a unique opportunity to uncover the etiology of biliary tract cancer. The extensive collection of epidemiologic
and clinical data along with biological specimens represents a rich resource to test emerging etiologic hypotheses with state-of-theart techniques. |
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Other articles in the newsletter discuss the continued increasing incidence of melanoma in the general population, particularly in men over 50 years of age and in women in their 20’s and 30’s; the recently updated skin care guidelines for the prevention and early detection of melanoma, including the need for all members of melanoma-prone families (not just those with dysplastic nevi or melanoma) to follow these guidelines; a brief summary of the genetics of melanoma, noting that although two melanoma susceptibility genes— CDKN2A and CDK4—have been identified, other genes and gene-environment factors likely play a role in the development of melanoma; information about the Melanoma Genetics Consortium; an update about the 1999 Food and Drug Administration sunscreen regulations, highlighting the sunscreen labeling issues; and a list of several relevant web sites along with a description of the information available. The web sites include NCI’s cancer information page (http://cancer.gov), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Choose Your Cover” sun-safe education, the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Sunwise” and ultraviolet index information sites, and the Food and Drug Administration’s on-line consumer information article, “Trying to Look SUNsational? Complexity Persists in Using Sunscreens.” Newsletters such as this one are an excellent way to keep study participants informed about the progress of the research, which would not be possible without the generous and
continued participation of these dedicated persons, and to review and reinforce those health behaviors recommended to decrease the burden of melanoma in their families. |
Recently, DCEG launched a new public web site, QMOD, which contains questionnaire modules available for use in epidemiologic studies. QMOD, created by B.J.
Stone, Ph.D., of the Biostatistics Branch, was brought to fruition with the help of Laure El ghormli, M.S., also of the Biostatistics Branch, and Roberta McClimens of Information
Management Systems, Inc. The site can be found at,
>Data collection was successfully completed in July 2001.More than 45,000 vials of biological specimens, including 26,000 vials of DNA samples, have been stored at the NCI
repository in Frederick. Collaboration with the Shanghai Cancer Institute, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University,Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
Wake Forest Genome Center is actively under way to evaluate several key etiologic hypotheses (including Helicobacter species in bile samples, chronic infection with hepatitis
B virus, serum levels of various lipid fractions, and bile acid and cholesterol contents in gallstones) as well as genetic susceptibility related to lipid and hormone metabolism.
Researchers are performing genome-wide allelotyping of tumor tissue to investigate loss of heterozygosity in tumor suppressor genes that may be involved in the genesis of biliary
tumors.
The Genetic Epidemiology Branch has published a newsletter, Familial Melanoma Study News, for families enrolled in the NCI Familial Melanoma Study.
Margaret Tucker, M.D., Branch Chief, Alisa Goldstein, Ph.D., Chief of the Population and Statistical Genetics Section, and Mary Fraser, R.N., M.A., Clinical Nurse Specialist,
developed the content of the newsletter, which was mailed to approximately 2,000 family members, some of whom have been participating in the study since its inception in 1976.
In addition to updating study participants on the staff currently involved in the project, the newsletter contains a brief memorial for Dr. Wallace Clark, Jr., who died in 1997.
Dr. Clark, a world-renowned dermatopathologist and clinician, was instrumental in launching this study, defining the clinical and histologic features of dysplastic nevi and their
evolution to melanoma, and significantly advancing knowledge about the management of familial melanoma.|
DNA REPAIR WORKSHOP
Dr. Richard Pelroy of NCI’s Division of Cancer Biology and Alice Sigurdson, Ph.D., of DCEG’s Radiation Epidemiology Branch cochaired a workshop entitled “Radiation Sensitivity, Cancer Susceptibility, and Common DNA Repair Polymorphisms (SNPs)” held November 7–9, 2001. The workshop highlighted NCI’s research efforts in DNA repair and generated interest and potential collaborations with university researchers. Keynote presentations provided an overview of radiation epidemiology and the resources available to study gene-radiation interactions, issues of multiple comparisons, the most recent advances in structural biology and proteinprotein interfaces, and the complexity of maintaining genomic integrity. Approximately 60 persons representing such disciplines as molecular biology, mouse models, and epidemiology attended from the United States and England. Stephen Chanock, M.D., of the Core Genotyping Facility, Elaine Ron, Ph.D., of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, and Sholom Wacholder, Ph.D., of the Biostatistics Branch were among the invited opening speakers. Attendees learned of a growing body of molecular data that can help epidemiologists determine where informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) will likely occur in genes encoding DNA-repair proteins. Such SNPs could cause these proteins to function abnormally, hindering their ability to excise mutations that cause diseases. Studies in mice show that different genetic backgrounds can influence the effects of SNPs. Jeffery Struewing, M.D., and Kent Hunter, Ph.D., both of the Laboratory of Population Genetics, and Dr. Chanock drove home these points and highlighted resources such as NCI’s “SNP 500.” Written summaries from the keynote speakers and session discussions, led by Nathaniel Rothman, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.S., of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch, will be incorporated
into a workshop proceedings for publication next year. Communication between the workshop participants will continue through a shared database, annual meetings, and other means. |
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CERVICAL CANCERCervical Inflammation and High-grade Cervical Neoplasia in Women Infected with Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Human Leukocyte Antigen Alleles and Risk of Cervical Neoplasia Folate and Invasive Cervical Cancer CHORDOMAFamilial Chordoma and Chromosome 7q33 COLORECTAL ADENOMASMutagens from Meat-derived Heterocyclic Amines and Risk of Colorectal Adenomas DIETHYLSTILBESTROLDiethylstilbestrol and Incidence of Squamous Neoplasia of the Cervix and Vagina Infertility among Women Exposed to Diethylstilbestrol Prenatally ESOPHAGEAL AND GASTRIC CANCERSFamily History and Risk of Esophageal and Gastric Cancers Nutrient Intake and Risk of Esophageal and Gastric Cancers Diet and Genetics in Stomach Cancer Glutathione S-transferase Genotypes and Stomach Cancer LUNG CANCERMolecular Characteristics of Lung Cancer MELANOMARisk Factors for Melanoma in a Mediterranean Population V126D CDKN2A Founder Mutation in Seven North American Melanomaprone Families Germline Mutations in Sporadic Melanoma METHODSBivariate Cure-mixture Approach for Modeling Familial Association in Diseases Effects of Assumptions on Likelihood Methods for Estimating Penetrance in Kin-cohort Studies Association and Aggregation Analysis Using Kin-cohort Designs Limitations of the Case-only Design for Identifying Case-control Interactions Collection of Genomic DNA by Buccal Cytobrush and Mouthwash OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURESPesticides and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Farmers who had ever used carbamate pesticides had a 30 to 50 percent increase in the risk of NHL, whereas farmers who had never used them showed no increased risk. Analyses for individual carbamate pesticides found a more consistent association with Sevin than with carbofuran, butylate, or S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate plus protectant. Among farmers using Sevin, the risk of NHL was limited to those who personally handled the product, those who first used the product at least 20 years before their disease diagnosis, or those who used the product for seven years or more. These associations persisted after adjustment for other major classes of pesticides. (Zheng TZ, Zahm SH, Cantor KP, Weisenburger DD, Zhang YW, Blair A. Agricultural exposure to carbamate pesticides and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. J Occup Environ Med 2001;43:641-649) Diesel Engine Emissions and Cancer OVARIAN CANCERRisk Modifiers for Ovarian Cancer among BRCA1 or BRCA2 Carriers PANCREATIC CANCERHelicobacter pylori and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer PROSTATE CANCERPolymorphic Markers in the SRD5A2 Gene and Prostate Cancer RiskM RADIATIONCancer Deaths after Nasopharyngeal Radium Irradiation VIRUSESEffects of Three Specific Alleles on HIV-1 Disease Progression Malignancies in Persons with AIDS and Kaposi's Sarcoma Prevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 Antibodies in Denmark |
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This year’s winners of the NIH 2001 Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE) competition included three DCEG fellows. The winning entry of EEB member Anand Chokkalingam, Ph.D., was entitled “Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms, Insulin-like Growth Factors, and Prostate Cancer: A Population-based Case-control Study in China.”
Mark Schiffman, M.D., M.P.H., of EEB, and Robert Tarone, Ph.D., of the Biostatistics Branch (BB), were recognized along with Dr. Diane Solomon of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention for leadership of the ASCUS/LSIL Triage Study to optimize management of cervical cytology abnormalities.
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Seven
DCEG investigators received NIH Merit Awards in September. Gilbert Beebe,
Ph.D., Scientist Emeritus, was recognized for his studies of radiation-related
cancer risk from the Chornobyl reactor accident.
Jimmie
B. Vaught, Ph.D., of the Office of the Director, was cited for his important
contributions in developing methods and procedures to improve the management
of DCEG’s biorepositories.
Nilanjan
Chatterjee, Ph.D., has been appointed as a new tenure-track investigator
in BB. He received his doctorate in statistics from the University of
Washington in 1999. Since joining DCEG, he has worked on estimation
of the penetrance of genetic mutations from data in kin-cohort designs.
He has recently developed a two-stage regression analysis for casecontrol
epidemiologic data that can be used to investigate the effect of risk
factors on various case characteristics.
Montserrat Garcia-Closas, M.D., Dr.P.H., of the Environmental Epidemiology
Branch (EEB), was cited for her research that has defined methods for
assessing gene-environment interactions within the context of epidemiologic
studies.
In
October, three DCEG researchers received NIH Quality of Work Life Awards.
EEB Chief Louise Brinton, Ph.D., was recognized for her successful reshaping
of EEB from 1996 to the present, which has led to greatly improved staff
satisfaction and major improvements in administrative efficiency.
EEB’s Ann
Hsing, Ph.D., was recognized for research that has provided important
clues to explain the substantial racial differences in prostate cancer
risk.
Martha
Linet, M.D., M.P.H., of REB, was recognized for her efforts to strengthen
communications, provide a forum for discussion, and offer training in
areas of particular relevance to women scientists in her role as the
DCEG Women Scientists’ Advisor.
Ulrike
Peters, Ph.D., of the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, won the award
for her abstract, “Dietary Fiber and Colorectal Adenoma—Data from the
Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial.”
Peter
Inskip, Sc.D., of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB), was cited
for his research on the relationship between cellular telephone use
and brain tumors in adults.
Thomas O’Brien, M.D., of the Virology Epidemiology Branch, was honored for his contributions as the Chair of the DCEG Committee of Scientists to improve communication, enhance
the scientific environment, and provide career development opportunities within DCEG.
The research
of GEB member Rose Yang, Ph.D., was titled “A Familial Chordoma Locus
Is Linked to Chromosome 7q33.” The fellows each received a $1,000 stipend
to attend a scientific meeting to present their abstracts and will also
be asked to present at a FARE poster session. They will serve as judges
for FARE 2003.
Neil
Caporaso, M.D., of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch (GEB), received an
Outstanding Service Medal from the PHS Commissioned Corps for “Leadership
in defining the biologic basis for nicotine addiction.”|
Ann Hsing, Ph.D., of EEB, served as lead editor of a recent issue of Epidemiologic Reviews devoted to prostate cancer. The volume includes articles on more than 30 topics, including descriptive epidemiology, natural history, occupation, medical history, gene-environment interactions, and prevention and control. Dr. Hsing authored an article on “Hormones and prostate cancer: what’s next?” and with BB member Susan Devesa, Ph.D., coauthored an article on trends and patterns of prostate cancer. Richard Hayes, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the Occupational Epidemiology Branch (OEB), contributed an article on gene-environment interrelations and co-authored another article about alcohol. James Goedert, M.D. , of the Viral Epidemiology Branch, co-authored an article on sexual behavior and evidence suggesting an infectious cause of prostate cancer.
At the NCI Awards Ceremony in September, two GEB members received Achievement Medals from the PHS Commissioned Corps. LCDR Mary Lou McMaster, M.D., was recognized “for increasing our understanding of the etiology and clinical manifestations of several familial cancers,” while CAPT Mary Fraser, R.N., M.A., was recognized “for outstanding coordination of the GEB site visit.”
In December, Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., M.D., DCEG Director, presented the 135th Cutter Lecture on Preventive Medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health. His talk was entitled, “Genes and the environment in cancer causation: Epidemiologic opportunities.” In November, Dr. Fraumeni received the First Amgen Visiting Professorship by the Yale Cancer Center. And in October, he was a guest of honor at the “Lunch With Leaders” program sponsored by the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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Allan Hildesheim, Ph.D., of EEB, was the invited speaker for the January 18th NIH Director’s Seminar Series. Dr. Hildesheim’s talk, “Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical
cancer: The road from etiological understanding to preventive strategies,” told the story of the scientific work done to elucidate the association between HPV and cervical cancer.
He began by examining the initial efforts to establish an etiologic role for the virus in cervical cancer and went on to cover current endeavors to develop better diagnostic
tools and the start of HPV vaccine trials to prevent cervical cancer. Dr. Hildesheim also spoke of the role he has played in this research, including past and ongoing studies in
Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
James Lacey, Jr., Ph.D., was selected for a tenure-track position in EEB. Dr. Lacey has been in DCEG as a postdoctoral fellow since completing his Ph.D. at the University of
Michigan in 1998. His research has focused on hormonal carcinogenesis involving tumors of the breast, endometrium, cervix, and ovary. He is also leading a large cohort study to
define the interrelationship of bone density, genetic factors, and endogenous hormones as predictors of subsequent breast, endometrial, and colorectal cancer risk.
GEB member Lynn R. Goldin, Ph.D., recently participated in teaching a course in Cambridge, UK, entitled, “Human Genome Analysis: Genetic Analysis of Multifactorial Diseases,
” sponsored by the Wellcome Trust. Her lecture focused on strategies for improving the power of gene detection in complex diseases.
Gloria Gridley, M.S., of BB, gave an invited talk in October before
the Hispanic Dental Association in Philadelphia. The title was “The
role of dietary factors in the etiology of oral and pharyngeal cancers.”
Elizabeth Maloney, Dr. P.H., a staff scientist in the Viral Epidemiology
Branch, successfully defended her doctoral thesis at the Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). Dr. Maloney’s thesis focused
on a cohort study of the health effects of human T cell-lymphotropic
virus type I (HTLV-I) infection in Jamaican children. She found that,
compared with uninfected children, HTLV-Iinfected children had significantly
higher incidence rates of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and persistent
hyperreflexia and nonsignificantly elevated rates of severe anemia,
lymphadenopathy, and abnormal lymphocytes. Among infected children,
those with seborrheic dermatitis and severe anemia had an approximately
twofold higher HTLV-I proviral load than children without these conditions
did. Her academic advisor, Terry Thomas, Ph.D., of the Radiation Epidemiology
Branch, was a faculty member at USUHS before joining DCEG.
Naoko Ishibe, Sc.D., has been appointed a tenure-track investigator in GEB. Shortly after receiving her doctor of science degree in epidemiology and environmental health from
the Harvard School of Public Health in 1997, Dr. Ishibe became a postdoctoral fellow in the Cancer Genetics Training Program in DCEG. She has been involved in research on von
Hippel-Lindau disease and on the causes and natural history of familial chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Dr. Ishibe is also an accomplished athlete and was recently selected to the
U.S. National Track and Field Team. She competed in a road relay in Chiba, Japan, in November.|
EEB member Mark Schiffman, M.D., M.P.H., was recognized as an NCI Mentor of Merit by the NCI Fellowship Office. Dr. Schiffman was also elected to the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars, which honors former postdoctoral fellows and junior or visiting faculty who have gained distinction in their fields.
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Ruth Pfeiffer, Ph.D., has been appointed to a tenure-track position in BB. She received her doctorate in mathematical statistics from the University of Maryland in 1998. Since
joining DCEG in 1999 as a postdoctoral fellow, she has worked on estimation of covariate ffects from family data, taking into account ascertainment. She has also developed mixture
models that can aid in analyzing serologic data in the absence of a gold standard. Her future plans include assessing power and sample sizes for association studies based on
genetic markers, rather than candidate genes, and extending the mixture model to longitudinal data. Dr. Pfeiffer is also developing models of absolute risk for colon cancer and
other cancers.
Rashmi
Sinha, Ph.D., of NEB, and Elizabeth Snyderwine, Ph.D., of the NCI’s
Center for Cancer Research, organized and chaired the 8th International
Conference on Carcinogenic/ Mutagenic NSubstituted Aryl Compounds, which was held November 12–14, 2001, in
Washington, DC. The conference, held every three years, brought together researchers from 14 countries
and 5 continents who share a mutual interest in understanding the rolearylamines
play in carcinogenesis. Many DCEG scientists participated, including
OEB’s Nathaniel Rothman, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.S., who spoke on “NAT2, aromatic
amines, and bladder cancer,” and EEB’s Montserrat Garcia-Closas, M.D.,
Dr.P.H., who spoke on “Methodological challenges to the study of genetic
susceptibility to dietary sources of N-aryl compounds in epidemiological
studies of cancer.”
Margaret A. Tucker, M.D., GEB Chief, recently gave invited talks at
the International Symposium on Radiation and Homeostasis in Kyoto, Japan;
at the “Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention: Non-Melanoma and Melanoma
Skin Cancer” meeting at the University of California at Irvine; and
at the “Technological Innovation in a Changing Medical Marketplace”
meeting at the National Academy of Sciences,Washington, DC. In November,
DCEG Deputy Director Shelia Zahm, Sc.D., was the lead speaker at the
symposium “Evolution of Exposure Assessment for Epidemiologic Research
at the National Cancer Institute,” at a meeting of the International
Society for Exposure Analysis in Charleston, South Carolina. Other DCEG
staff members—OEB’s Mary Ward, Ph.D., Mustafa Dosemeci, Ph.D., Joseph
Coble, Sc.D., and Jay Nuckols, Ph.D., and REB’s Ruth Kleinerman, M.P.H.—presented
papers on exposure assessment in environmental, occupational, and radiation
studies. The session was organized and chaired by Joanne Colt, M.S.,
M.P.H., of OEB.
Cecile Ronckers, Ph.D., an REB visiting fellow, was chosen to receive the Young Investigator Travel Award from the Radiation Research Society. Dr. Ronckers will present an
abstract entitled “Late Health Effects of Nasopharyngeal Radium Irradiation: Cancer Incidence” at the annual Society meeting, which will be held April 20–24, 2002, in Reno,
Nevada.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine recently honored Robert W. Miller, M.D., Dr.P.H., DCEG Scientist Emeritus, as a Distinguished Alumnus.
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Omur Elci, M.D., Ph.D., departed the Occupational Epidemiology Branch (OEB) in September for a position at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, West Virginia. Dr. Elci had been a visiting fellow since 1999, investigating occupational and environmental risk factors for laryngeal cancer.
Dan Grauman, M.S., recently transferred from BB to the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.Mr. Grauman played a critical role in developing the user-friendly web site for cancer maps and mortality data and is now developing material for the web site of his new Division. |
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Sean Altekruse, D.V.M., Ph.D., M.P.H., joined the Environmental Epidemiology Branch (EEB) as a Staff Scientist in September. He is a board-certified veterinarian
(University of Georgia, 1987) and a PHS Commander. During the past decade, he worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and at the Food and Drug
Administration in Washington, DC. This year, Dr. Altekruse completed the PHS Epidemiology Fellowship Program and was awarded a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
He will coordinate the Costa Rican human papillomavirus vaccine trial with Dr. Allan Hildesheim and Dr. Mark Schiffman.
DuPont Guerry IV, M.D., is spending a sabbatical year in the Genetic EpidemiologyBranch. Dr. Guerry is a professor of hematology and oncology at the University of
Pennsylvania Health Center, and director of the worldfamous Pigmented Lesion Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center’s Melanoma Program. He has
collaborated on studies of melanoma with DCEG investigators for over 20 years. He is analyzing data from a case-control study of melanoma and is helping to develop protocols
forfamilial lymphoproliferative diseases.
Jose Jeronimo Guibovich, M.D., joined EEB as a research fellow. Dr. Jeronimo received his M.D. in 1989 from the Federico Villarreal University in Lima, Peru, and subsequently
completed a residency in general and oncologic surgery in 1995 and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology in 1996. In addition to his clinical duties, he actively participated in
prevention research, including collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization on visual screening for cervical cancer precursors. Dr. Jeronimo’s research will focus on
studying the visual natural history of cervical cancer with the use of archived digital and photographic images from EEB investigations. The visual data will be merged with
corresponding microscopic and virologic data to explore issues such as lesion clonality and topography.
Michelle Althuis, Ph.D., recently joined EEB as a postdoctoral fellow. She received a master’s degree in organic chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University and a doctoral
degree in epidemiology from the University of Maryland. For her dissertation, she conducted a community based study assessing the prevalence of endometrial cancer screening among
women with breast cancer. More recently, she has worked in the design and analysis of clinical trials. 
Elizabeth
E. Brown joined the Viral Epidemiology Branch in July as a predoctoral
fellow. She received her B.S. from the University of Oregon and has
completed course work for a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins
University Bloomberg School of Public Health. For her dissertation,
she is working with Drs. James Goedert, Denise Whitby, and Stephen Chanock
on the effects of cytokines and cytokine gene polymorphisms on the risk
of classic Kaposi’s sarcoma.
Abhijit Dasgupta, Ph.D., joined the Biostatistics Branch (BB) in September
as a postdoctoral fellow after receiving his doctorate in biostatistics
from the University of Washington. He is working with Dr. Sholom Wacholder
on estimating penetrance of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations for ovarian cancer
and on expression array studies of cervical lesions.
Wonjin Lee, M.D., Ph.D., joined OEB as a visiting fellow in October. Dr. Lee was trained in occupational and environmental medicine at Korea University. He spent the past two
years at the International Agency for Research on Cancer working on a mortality study in the pulp and paper industry and on a molecular epidemiology project evaluating the
relationship between genetic polymorphisms and lung cancer. Dr. Lee will conduct research on pesticides in relation to cancer risk.|
Aparna Mohan, M.D., Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB), recently left DCEG to join the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration. In August, Lee Moore, Ph.D., joined OEB as a tenure-track investigator. |
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Dr.Moore has a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research has focused on the relationship of inorganic arsenic with cancer. At DCEG,
Dr. Moore will be investigating gene-environment interactions in the development of kidney cancer in Eastern Europe and the molecular epidemiology of arsenic and bladder cancer
in New England. After two years as an Epidemiology Program Specialist, Amy Pickard, M.P.H., left EEB in August to begin doctoral dissertation work at the University of Michigan.
Jorge
Toro, M.D., has joined the Genetic Epidemiology Branch as a tenure-track
investigator. Dr. Toro graduated with honors from the State University
of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine in 1992. In 1997, he came
to the NIH under a fellowship and completed his residency in dermatology.
His primary research interest is hereditary diseases of the skin, from
clinical presentation to gene identification, characterization, and
mutation detection. He defined for the first time the dermatological
findings of Hermansky- Pudlak syndrome and recently described the association
of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome with renal cancer. Dr. Toro will continue
his study of these syndromes, pursue an interest in gamma-delta T-cell
lymphoma, and explore the manifestations and implications of cutaneous
leiomyomatosis.
Lori Sakoda, M.P.H., joined EEB in November as an epidemiology program specialist. Originally from Hawaii, she received an A.B. in psychology from Stanford University and an
M.P.H. in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of California at Berkeley. For the last two years, she was employed by Northern California Cancer Center and Kaiser
Permanente Oakland, where she examined dietary, anthropometric, and hormone- related risk factors for thyroid and breast cancer among ethnically diverse populations, and conducted
research comparing the diagnostic yield between various colorectal cancer screening strategies.
Ms. Rachelle Ragland-Greene joined the Administrative Resource Center as an administrative technician. Her previous work experience includes jobs in marketing and human resources
in the private sector. Since joining NCI in the fall, she has completed several Federal training courses, including use of DELPRO and government travel.
Ehab
Rabaa, M.D., M.P.H., recently joined the Viral Epidemiology Branch as
a postdoctoral fellow. He trained in medicine at Tishreen University
in Lattakia, Syria, and received his M.P.H. from the University of New
Mexico in Albuquerque. At DCEG, Dr. Rabaa will collaborate with Dr.
James Goedert on hepatitis C virus and avian leukosis virus, and with
Dr. Robert Biggar and Dr. Elizabeth Maloney on studies of human T-cell
lymphotrophic virus type II.
Adonina Tardón-García, M.D., Ph.D., has joined OEB as a guest researcher.
She has a medical degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid
and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from Universidad de Oviedo, Spain. During
her sabbatical year at NCI, she will collaborate with DCEG investigators
in the analysis of data from the recently completed case-control study
of bladder cancer in Spain.
Ms. Judy
Lindley joined the Administrative Resource Center as an administrative
technician. Judy comes from Oklahoma, where she worked as a program
assistant for the General Services Administration. She has experience
in both personnel and administration.
Preetha Rajaraman joined REB in December as a predoctoral fellow to
work on a study of occupational exposures and brain tumors. Ms. Rajaraman
is a doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School
of Public Health. Her mentors are Dr. Peter Inskip and Dr. Patricia
Stewart.
Sowmya
Rao, Ph.D., who received her doctorate in biostatistics from Boston
University, is a BB postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Rao plans to develop statistical
methods for analyzing health surveys to answer epidemiologic questions.
She will also develop epidemiologic and statistical methods for analyzing
associations between radiation exposure and cancer in cohort studies.
Marianne
Vidal, M.S., a special volunteer from the Institute for Protection and
Nuclear Safety (IPSN) in Paris, will spend one year with REB’s Chornobyl
Research Unit, assisting in dosimetry activities to estimate the 131I
thyroid dose received by persons in Belarus and Ukraine during the Chornobyl
nuclear power accident.|
IN MEMORIAM 
Susan Sieber, Ph.D., who served as DCEG’s Deputy Director from 1995 through 1997, passed away on January 22, 2002, after an extended illness. Dr. Sieber spent her professional career in public service, retiring in September 2001 after 30 years at NCI. Her career at NCI began in 1971 when she joined the Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology as a postdoctoral fellow after completing her Ph.D. in pharmacology at George Washington University. In 1976, she was appointed Chief of the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Section. Dr. Sieber became well known to many in DCEG when she was selected Deputy Director of the Division of Cancer Etiology, the predecessor to the DCEG, in 1983. Following the establishment of DCEG in 1995, she agreed to be Deputy Director, contributing her knowledge and experience to the task of creating the new Division. Dr. Sieber left DCEG in 1997 to serve as the Acting Director of the NCI Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, then moved to the NCI Office of the Director, where she eventually headed the new NCI Office of Communication. She chaired the Etiology Working Group of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and served on the Board of Directors of the Reproductive Toxicology Center, the editorial board of the journal Reproductive Toxicology, and the U.S. Army Breast Cancer Research Program Integration Panel. Additionally, she founded and chaired the NIH Inter-Agency Working Group on Breast and Gynecologic Cancer, chaired one of NCI’s Institutional Review Boards, and headed the NCI Animal Care and Use Committee. Sheserved on the faculty of the NIH Graduate Program and was chairperson of its Pharmacology and Toxicology Department. Dr. Sieber enjoyed tackling challenging, controversial issues. During her tenure, she helped formulate the Institute’s approach to the use of animals in laboratory research, human subjects protection, ethics and confidentiality concerns, women’s health, environmental cancer, interagency coordination, communication and advocacy concerns, and a great many other matters. She contributed an enormous amount to NCI, and she will be greatly missed. |
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