DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Cancer Epidemiology
Cancer Genetics

Research Abstract

My research focuses on understanding cancer causation, specifically understanding the relationship between genetic variation and disease risk for future prevention. My research base is the Nurses' Health Study, where 33,000 germline DNA samples are available for determining inherited genetic susceptibility to cancer and other chronic diseases. A pivotal part of my research involves developing and implementing high through-put molecular techniques which can be used to analyze the large number of samples that are used in epidemiology research. I work in collaboration with human geneticist, David Housman, as well as geneticists in the Population Genetics department at the Harvard School of Public Health to develop such techniques. Molecular techniques such as automated DNA sequencing will help in identifying molecular biomarkers which can be used in the study of carcinogenic mechanisms and in early detection and prevention. Some of my current projects include studying polymorphisms in hormone-metabolizing genes in endometrial and breast cancer and tumor suppressor genes like PTEN, in women with multiple primary cancers.

Publications

• McGrath M, Wong JY, Michaud D, Hunter DJ, De Vivo I.Telomere length, cigarette smoking, and bladder cancer risk in men and women.Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007 Apr;16(4):815-9.
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• Genkinger JM, DeVivo I, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Michaud DS.Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use and risk of bladder cancer in the health professionals follow-up study.Int J Cancer 2007 May 15;120(10):2221-5.
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• McGrath M, Michaud D, De Vivo I.Polymorphisms in GSTT1, GSTM1, NAT1 and NAT2 genes and bladder cancer risk in men and women.BMC Cancer 2006;6:239.
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• Han J, Hankinson SE, De Vivo I.Polymorphisms in O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and endometrial cancer risk.Carcinogenesis 2006 Jun 15.
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• Huggins GS, Wong JY, Hankinson SE, De Vivo I.GATA5 activation of the progesterone receptor gene promoter in breast cancer cells is influenced by the +331G/A polymorphism.Cancer Res 2006 Feb 1;66(3):1384-90.
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• De Vivo I, Cui X, Domen J, Cleary ML.Growth stimulation of primary B cell precursors by the anti-phosphatase Sbf1.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1998 Aug 4;95(16):9471-6.
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• Cui X, De Vivo I, Slany R, Miyamoto A, Firestein R, Cleary ML.Association of SET domain and myotubularin-related proteins modulates growth control.Nat Genet 1998 Apr;18(4):331-7.
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