Helping to advance new therapies and care against a wide range of cancers, Yale Cancer Center has enlisted cancer prevention research teams to investigate risk factors and social determinants of health.
“At Yale Cancer Center, six research programs collaborate with 13 clinical cancer programs to advance science through novel clinical trials, observational studies, and correlative research every day,” said Michaela Dinan, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Yale Cancer Center. “By pulling together these experts, we are making real discoveries as to what causes cancer and how to intervene to prevent and treat the cancer.”
For the last decade, multiple research grants have supported Yale Cancer Center scientists to study cancer prevention and control. Scientists reported indoor tanning was strongly associated with the development of basal cell carcinoma — a significant finding that led to a policy change in Connecticut in 2013 banning indoor tanning to minors, and a large smoking cessation trial is underway among patients at high risk for lung cancer. Research completed in November 2021 at Yale showed young people were more likely to have received a vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, in places where they could give consent without their parents, improving utilization of an important tool for cancer prevention. Another ongoing study is examining environmental carcinogens as a risk factor for thyroid cancer.
Looking to educate the next generation of cancer prevention and control researchers, a recent grant from the National Institutes of Health is funding a new training program at Yale. The program focuses on training and mentoring pre-and post-doctoral fellows who will develop and carry out innovative, impactful studies in cancer etiology, cancer outcomes, lifestyle behavioral interventions, implementation science, and community-engaged research.
“Strengthening the mentorship and training of fellows in cancer prevention and control will ultimately benefit public health through the preparation of an exceptional group of investigators committed to translating evidence-based cancer prevention research to the clinic and community,” said Xiaomei Ma, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator of the program and Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Yale Cancer Center. “It is gratifying to have the opportunity to work alongside the cancer researchers who will carry the torch and do an outstanding job.”