Leah Ferrucci, PhD, MPH
Research & Publications
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Research Summary
Dr. Ferrucci’s primary research interests are in elucidating modifiable causes of cancer and developing a better understanding of how cancer impacts the individual across various life domains. She focuses mainly on evaluating diet/nutrition and ultraviolet radiation related exposures in relation to cancer. Her research also encompasses the needs and experiences of cancer survivors, including health information needs and quality of life, utilizing a unique national longitudinal study of cancer survivors. Dr. Ferrucci is working to translate some of her etiologic and descriptive findings into behavioral and structural interventions for individuals and communities to reduce cancer risk and impact survivorship. Dr. Ferrucci has conducted both quantitative and qualitative research to develop a behavioral prevention intervention to prevent indoor tanning in young people. In addition to her work on skin cancer prevention, Dr. Ferrucci is also studying sun exposure, sun protection behaviors, and indoor tanning among skin cancer survivors after their diagnosis to better understand these risk behaviors after a cancer diagnosis. Her work in nutrition and diet currently includes an evaluation of diet quality and food insecurity in female cancer survivors and an evaluation of the gut microbiome and metabolomics in breast cancer survivors enrolled in a weigh-loss trial. She is also studying diet quality as assessed by skin carotenoids in relation to chemotherapy-related side effects in breast cancer patients.
Extensive Research Description
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
Coauthors
Research Interests
Breast Neoplasms; Chronic Disease; Diet; Epidemiology; Public Health; Skin Neoplasms; Tanning; Colorectal Neoplasms; Survivors; Metabolomics
Public Health Interests
Cancer; Nutrition
Selected Publications
- Body mass index, height and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case-control study.Zhang Y, Cartmel B, Choy CC, Molinaro AM, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST, Ferrucci LM. Body mass index, height and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiology 2017, 46: 66-72. PMID: 28039770, PMCID: PMC5272867, DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2016.12.007.
- Predictors of tanning dependence in white non-Hispanic females and males.Cartmel B, Bale AE, Mayne ST, Gelernter JE, DeWan AT, Spain P, Leffell DJ, Pagoto S, Ferrucci LM. Predictors of tanning dependence in white non-Hispanic females and males. Journal Of The European Academy Of Dermatology And Venereology : JEADV 2017, 31: 1223-1228. PMID: 28129487, PMCID: PMC5522341, DOI: 10.1111/jdv.14138.
- Indoor tanning and the MC1R genotype: risk prediction for basal cell carcinoma risk in young people.Molinaro AM, Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Loftfield E, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning and the MC1R genotype: risk prediction for basal cell carcinoma risk in young people. American Journal Of Epidemiology 2015, 181: 908-16. PMID: 25858289, PMCID: PMC4445390, DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu356.
- Indoor tanning in businesses and homes and risk of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer in 2 US case-control studies.Ferrucci LM, Vogel RI, Cartmel B, Lazovich D, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning in businesses and homes and risk of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer in 2 US case-control studies. Journal Of The American Academy Of Dermatology 2014, 71: 882-7. PMID: 25062934, PMCID: PMC4250424, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2014.06.046.
- Novel gene identified in an exome-wide association study of tanning dependence.Cartmel B, Dewan A, Ferrucci LM, Gelernter J, Stapleton J, Leffell DJ, Mayne ST, Bale AE. Novel gene identified in an exome-wide association study of tanning dependence. Experimental Dermatology 2014, 23: 757-9. PMID: 25041255, PMCID: PMC4204712, DOI: 10.1111/exd.12503.
- Tea, coffee, and caffeine and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case-control study.Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Tea, coffee, and caffeine and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case-control study. European Journal Of Cancer Prevention : The Official Journal Of The European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP) 2014, 23: 296-302. PMID: 24841641, PMCID: PMC4059399, DOI: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000037.
- Indoor tanning and tanning dependence in young people after a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma.Cartmel B, Ferrucci LM, Spain P, Bale AE, Pagoto SL, Leffell DJ, Gelernter J, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning and tanning dependence in young people after a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. JAMA Dermatology 2013, 149: 1110-1. PMID: 23824273, PMCID: PMC3782995, DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2013.5104.
- Indoor tanning and risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma.Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning and risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma. Journal Of The American Academy Of Dermatology 2012, 67: 552-62. PMID: 22153793, PMCID: PMC3307842, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2011.11.940.
- Host phenotype characteristics and MC1R in relation to early-onset basal cell carcinoma.Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Gordon PB, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Host phenotype characteristics and MC1R in relation to early-onset basal cell carcinoma. The Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 2012, 132: 1272-9. PMID: 22158557, PMCID: PMC3305835, DOI: 10.1038/jid.2011.402.
- Meat consumption and the risk of incident distal colon and rectal adenoma.Ferrucci LM, Sinha R, Huang WY, Berndt SI, Katki HA, Schoen RE, Hayes RB, Cross AJ. Meat consumption and the risk of incident distal colon and rectal adenoma. British Journal Of Cancer 2012, 106: 608-16. PMID: 22166801, PMCID: PMC3281548, DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2011.549.
- Meat and components of meat and the risk of bladder cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.Ferrucci LM, Sinha R, Ward MH, Graubard BI, Hollenbeck AR, Kilfoy BA, Schatzkin A, Michaud DS, Cross AJ. Meat and components of meat and the risk of bladder cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Cancer 2010, 116: 4345-53. PMID: 20681011, PMCID: PMC2936663, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.25463.