Leah Ferrucci, PhD, MPH
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Chronic Disease Epidemiology
60 College Street, PO Box 208034
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)
Biography
Leah M. Ferrucci, PhD, MPH is an assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Ferrucci earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MPH in the Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. She received a PhD in nutritional cancer epidemiology through a joint training program with Yale University and the National Cancer Institute. Throughout her career, Dr. Ferrucci has focused on modifiable cancer risk factors, including nutrition and ultraviolet radiation related exposures, as well as cancer survivorship. She has worked not only in the study of the etiology of early-onset basal cell carcinoma (e.g. indoor tanning, alcohol intake, tea, coffee, and caffeine), but also translating these findings into behavioral interventions to reduce indoor tanning in young women and adolescent girls. Dr. Ferrucci is also studying diet quality, obesity, energetics, metabolomics, and the microbiome in the context of weight loss and lifestyle intervention trials for breast cancer survivors and ovarian cancer survivors.
Appointments
Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Cancer Prevention and Control
- Chronic Disease Epidemiology
- Obesity Research Working Group
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale School of Public Health
Education & Training
- PhD
- Yale University (2009)
- MPH
- Yale School of Public Health (2006)
Research
Overview
Understanding ultraviolet radiation exposure in skin cancer survivors
Understanding and preventing indoor tanning among young adults and adolescents
Diet quality and food insecurity in female cancers survivors
Microbiome and metabolomics in relation to weight loss in breast cancers survivors
Dietary meat intake and colorectal neoplasia
Needs of long-term cancer survivors
Diet quality and chemotherapy related side effects
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Breast Neoplasms; Chronic Disease; Colorectal Neoplasms; Diet; Epidemiology; Metabolomics; Public Health; Skin Neoplasms; Survivors; Tanning
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Leah Ferrucci's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Leah Ferrucci's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Leah Ferrucci is interested in exploring.
Brenda Cartmel, PhD
Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH
David J Leffell, MDCM
Fangyong Li, MS, MPH
Maura Harrigan, MS, RDN, CSO
Allen Bale, MD
29Publications
413Citations
Skin Neoplasms
Breast Neoplasms
Diet
Colorectal Neoplasms
Survivors
Publications
2024
Improving lifestyle behaviors during chemotherapy for breast cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis (LEANer) Trial
Puklin L, Ferrucci L, Harrigan M, McGowan C, Zupa M, Cartmel B, Li F, Ligibel J, Spiegelman D, Sharifi M, Sanft T, Irwin M. Improving lifestyle behaviors during chemotherapy for breast cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis (LEANer) Trial. Cancer 2024, 130: 2440-2452. PMID: 38470431, PMCID: PMC11214600, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35280.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPhysical activityDiet qualityHEI-2015Strength trainingLifestyle behaviorsHealthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015Breast cancerAssociated with baseline fatigueImprove physical activityImprove lifestyle behaviorsHigher HEI-2015Associated with higher oddsExercise interventionUsual careIntervention armIntervention groupBaseline fatigueLifestyle interventionYearlong interventionLower fatigueHigher oddsSecondary analysisLogistic regressionNewly diagnosed patientsStudy armsProlonged length of stay and omission of adjuvant therapy are associated with early mortality after pancreatic adenocarcinoma resection
Ying L, Ilagan-Ying Y, Kunstman J, Peters N, Almeida M, Blackburn H, Ferrucci L, Billingsley K, Khan S, Chhoda A, John N, Salem R, Sharma A, Ahuja N. Prolonged length of stay and omission of adjuvant therapy are associated with early mortality after pancreatic adenocarcinoma resection. Surgical Oncology Insight 2024, 1: 100007. DOI: 10.1016/j.soi.2024.100007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFactors associated with early mortalityCases of pancreatic adenocarcinomaPancreatic adenocarcinoma resectionRisk of early mortalityLength of stayEarly mortalityAdjuvant chemotherapyPancreatic adenocarcinomaChemotherapy utilizationAdenocarcinoma resectionRisk factors associated with early mortalityOmission of adjuvant therapyNon-metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinomaMultivariate Cox regression modelAssociated with early mortalityPost-resection survivalIncreased risk of early mortalityParticipant Use FileProlonged hospital stayProlonged length of stayAdjuvant chemotherapy utilizationDecrease perioperative complicationsCox regression modelsNon-academic centersHospital risk factorsAssociation between diet quality and ovarian cancer risk and survival
Cao A, Esserman D, Cartmel B, Irwin M, Ferrucci L. Association between diet quality and ovarian cancer risk and survival. Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 2024, 116: 1095-1104. PMID: 38400738, PMCID: PMC11223874, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djae040.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsOvarian cancer riskAll-cause mortalityAssociated with lower all-cause mortalityDiet qualityCancer riskOvarian cancer diagnosisAssociated with ovarian cancer riskPre-diagnosisProspective NIH-AARP DietHealthy Eating Index-2015Cancer diagnosisNIH-AARP DietStop Hypertension scoreCancer registry dataEpithelial ovarian cancerMediterranean diet scoreFood frequency questionnaireCox proportional hazards regressionOvarian cancerProportional hazards regressionHEI-2015Health StudyHypertension scoreDiet scoreFrequency questionnaireUnited States Long-Term Trends in Adult BMI (1959–2018): Unraveling the Roots of the Obesity Epidemic
Banas J, Cook A, Raygoza-Cortez K, Davila D, Irwin M, Ferrucci L, Humphries D. United States Long-Term Trends in Adult BMI (1959–2018): Unraveling the Roots of the Obesity Epidemic. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 2024, 21: 73. PMID: 38248537, PMCID: PMC10815706, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010073.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsNational Health Examination SurveyExamination SurveyObesity epidemicBody mass index (BMI) trendsOngoing obesity epidemicCritical public health challengeNutrition Examination SurveyHealth Examination SurveyRates of obesityPublic health challengePopulation-level interventionsBMI growth rateEffective population-level interventionsRace/ethnicityAverage BMIAdult BMINational HealthBMI trendsHigh school educationWhite adultsAge groupsBlack adultsHealth challengesBMIRacial disparities
2023
Post-diagnosis weight trajectories and mortality among women with breast cancer
Puklin L, Li F, Cartmel B, Zhao J, Sanft T, Lisevick A, Winer E, Lustberg M, Spiegelman D, Sharifi M, Irwin M, Ferrucci L. Post-diagnosis weight trajectories and mortality among women with breast cancer. Npj Breast Cancer 2023, 9: 98. PMID: 38042922, PMCID: PMC10693588, DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00603-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsBody mass indexBreast cancer diagnosisWeight changeCause mortalityClinical characteristicsWeight gainWeight lossBreast cancerWeight trajectoriesPost-diagnosis weight changeBreast cancer-specific mortalityCox proportional hazards modelModern treatment eraCancer-specific mortalityCancer diagnosisModerate weight lossModerate weight gainProportional hazards modelAdverse health outcomesElectronic health recordsTreatment eraBaseline characteristicsTumor RegistryMass indexWeight managementRandomized Trial Evaluating a Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention Delivered via Evidence-Based Materials versus a Waitlist Group on Changes in Body Weight, Diet Quality, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors
Puklin L, Harrigan M, Cartmel B, Sanft T, Gottlieb L, Zhou B, Ferrucci L, Li F, Spiegelman D, Sharifi M, Irwin M. Randomized Trial Evaluating a Self-Guided Lifestyle Intervention Delivered via Evidence-Based Materials versus a Waitlist Group on Changes in Body Weight, Diet Quality, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors. Cancers 2023, 15: 4719. PMID: 37835412, PMCID: PMC10571774, DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194719.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsBreast cancer survivorsCancer survivorsLifestyle interventionPhysical activityQuality of lifeBody weightWaitlist groupDiet qualitySelf-reported body weightWeight lossFavorable weight changeHealthy weight lossBody mass indexHealthy body weightGreater weight lossEvidence-based materialsDiverse healthcare settingsIntervention armMass indexClinical practicePositive behavior changeHealthcare settingsSurvivorsWeight changeInterventionRandomized Trial of Exercise and Nutrition on Chemotherapy Completion and Pathologic Complete Response in Women With Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis Study
Sanft T, Harrigan M, McGowan C, Cartmel B, Zupa M, Li F, Ferrucci L, Puklin L, Cao A, Nguyen T, Neuhouser M, Hershman D, Basen-Engquist K, Jones B, Knobf T, Chagpar A, Silber A, Tanasijevic A, Ligibel J, Irwin M. Randomized Trial of Exercise and Nutrition on Chemotherapy Completion and Pathologic Complete Response in Women With Breast Cancer: The Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis Study. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2023, 41: 5285-5295. PMID: 37656930, PMCID: PMC10691793, DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.00871.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRelative dose intensityPathologic complete responseProportion of patientsBreast cancerNeoadjuvant chemotherapyChemotherapy completionComplete responseNutrition interventionsHigher pathologic complete responseHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2Epidermal growth factor receptor 2Triple-negative breast cancerChemotherapy dose adjustmentsHome-based exerciseGrowth factor receptor 2Breast cancer outcomesEffects of exerciseFactor receptor 2Electronic medical recordsChi-square testUsual careDose intensityExercise interventionDose adjustmentRandomized trialsStructural Racism, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Obesity-related Cancers among Black and Hispanic/Latino Adults in the United States: A Narrative Review.
Pichardo M, Ferrucci L, Molina Y, Esserman D, Irwin M. Structural Racism, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Obesity-related Cancers among Black and Hispanic/Latino Adults in the United States: A Narrative Review. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2023, 32: 1498-1507. PMID: 37650844, PMCID: PMC10872641, DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-22-1147.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHispanic/Latino adultsObesity-related cancersLifestyle behaviorsLatino adultsLifestyle guidelinesCancer preventionPoor lifestyle behaviorsU.S. Hispanic/Latino adultsHealthful lifestyle behaviorsCause of deathHealthy lifestyle choicesChronic diseasesCardiovascular diseaseCommon causeCancer riskNarrative reviewBlack adultsDisproportionate burdenObesityCancerAdultsLifestyle choicesDiseasePreventionDeathEffect of Exercise on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Among Patients Treated for Ovarian Cancer
Cao A, Cartmel B, Li F, Gottlieb L, Harrigan M, Ligibel J, Gogoi R, Schwartz P, Esserman D, Irwin M, Ferrucci L. Effect of Exercise on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Among Patients Treated for Ovarian Cancer. JAMA Network Open 2023, 6: e2326463. PMID: 37526937, PMCID: PMC10394582, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.26463.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathyAerobic exercise interventionAttention control armExercise intervention armExercise interventionOvarian cancerControl armIntervention armSecondary analysisCIPN symptomsPeripheral neuropathyLifestyle StudyTreatment of CIPNModerate-intensity aerobic exerciseStandard oncology careEffects of exerciseSevere adverse effectsBetween-group differencesAmerican Cancer SocietyQuality of lifeAttention controlCIPN severityPrimary outcomeOncology careAerobic exerciseA review of the impact of energy balance on triple-negative breast cancer
Akingbesote N, Owusu D, Liu R, Cartmel B, Ferrucci L, Zupa M, Lustberg M, Sanft T, Blenman K, Irwin M, Perry R. A review of the impact of energy balance on triple-negative breast cancer. JNCI Monographs 2023, 2023: 104-124. PMID: 37139977, DOI: 10.1093/jncimonographs/lgad011.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTriple-negative breast cancerInterventional studyBreast cancerCancer treatmentClinical interventional studyClinical observationalImmune activationCancer outcomesCancer careClinical studiesOverall healthEnergy intakeNarrative reviewCancer cellsEnergy expenditureCancerTreatmentEnergy balanceOutcomesExerciseReviewDetrimental effectsImmunotherapyStudyIntake
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Trial of Exercise and Lifestyle (TEAL) Intervention
HIC ID2000032524RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/30/2026Recruiting ParticipantsMolecular Markers of UV Exposure and Cancer Risk in Skin
HIC ID2000024848RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date03/31/2024Recruiting Participants
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
honor Best Poster Award
National AwardAmerican Society of Preventive OncologyDetails03/09/2014United Stateshonor Loan Repayment Program
National AwardNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthDetails07/01/2013United Stateshonor Outstanding Student Paper Prize
National AwardAmerican College of EpidemiologyDetails09/15/2009United States
Links & Media
News
- August 07, 2023
New Yale Study Shows Aerobic Exercise Relieves Pain for Ovarian Cancer Survivors
- February 19, 2023
Addressing Disparities in Breast Cancer
- March 15, 2022
Yale Cancer Center and School of Public Health Receive Grant to Study Lifestyle Intervention in Women with Ovarian Cancer
- February 10, 2021
Reducing Cancer Burden Through Collaborative Research
Get In Touch
Contacts
Academic Office Number
Mailing Address
Chronic Disease Epidemiology
60 College Street, PO Box 208034
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
Locations
Room 420
Academic Office
60 College Street
New Haven, CT 06510