During the past year, the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which includes the Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP),
has implemented a long-term effort to revitalize the Division through changes in scientific initiatives, structure and function, culture, and leadership. As a result, EGRP continues to evolve as a Program. Most recently, there have been changes to the senior leadership of EGRP.
Kathy Helzlsouer, M.D., M.H.S., became EGRP's new Associate Director on October 5, 2015. Dr. Helzlsouer also will serve as the Chief Medical Officer for DCCPS. She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. Her research interests are focused on cancer etiology and prevention, cancer survivorship, and clinical and translational research. Dr. Robert Croyle, DCCPS director, said, "Dr. Helzlsouer is a highly accomplished epidemiologist and clinician with a broad vision of cancer epidemiology, prevention, and control. She brings a valuable blend of medical, scientific, and leadership skills, which will be a strong asset for NCI and DCCPS."
Prior to joining NCI, Dr. Helzlsouer was a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2004, she established the Prevention and Research Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and she directed the Center until 2015. At the Center, Dr. Helzlsouer led a team of researchers and health care specialists in cancer risk assessments, clinical research, and support programs for cancer patients and their families. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in cancer epidemiology, cancer genetic counseling, and clinical research. In 2012, Dr. Helzlsouer received the Martin D. Abeloff Award for Excellence in Public Health and Cancer Control for her service on the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control. She also is an associate editor of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and a member of NCI's PDQ� Screening and Prevention Editorial Board.
Muin Khoury, M.D., Ph.D., who had served as EGRP's Acting Associate Director since 2010, is now serving as a Senior Consultant for DCCPS on public health genomics. As EGRP's Acting Associate Director, Dr. Khoury oversaw a period of organizational growth that enabled EGRP to expand the depth and breadth of its scientific expertise and its fellowship training opportunities. During this time, the Program revised its mission and vision statements, changing its name from the "Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program" to the "Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program" to better reflect the full spectrum of supported research and the Program's efforts to implement a robust scientific agenda that spans discovery through translational research to benefit public health. Dr. Khoury also founded and serves as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office of Public Health Genomics since 1997.
Dr. Khoury developed the concept for "
Trends in 21st Century Epidemiology: From Scientific Discoveries to Population Health Impact," EGRP's public workshop held in Bethesda, Maryland, December 12-13, 2012. At this workshop, external researchers and thought leaders presented their perspectives on major facets of the epidemiologic enterprise. Eight overarching thematic recommendations from the workshop were
published in April 2013. Many activities, initiatives, and research resources that EGRP staff have undertaken over the past few years have built upon or were related to recommendations stemming from the 2012 workshop.
Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., who had served as a Senior Scientist in EGRP since 1997 and as the Cohorts and Consortia Team Lead for EGRP since 2005, has joined the DCCPS Office of the Director to serve as a Senior Advisor on special projects. Dr. Seminara has more than 20 years of experience in intramural and extramural programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has been integral to the expansion of NCI's extramural genetic epidemiology portfolio. During her time in EGRP, Dr. Seminara led the design, implementation, and fostering of a thriving network of
more than 60 interdisciplinary and translational cancer epidemiology consortia with national and international reach. She also played a key role in the scientific coordination and evaluation of
cancer cohorts by leading the development of an innovative approach to the support of cancer cohort infrastructures (Core Infrastructure and Methodological Research for Cancer Epidemiology Cohorts U01).
Dr. Seminara designed and implemented the
Breast Cancer Family Registry and
Colon Cancer Family Registry cohorts and was part of a team that made substantial contributions to the development of NCI and NIH policies related to genome-wide association studies. She also co-led the
Genetic Associations and Mechanisms in Oncology (GAME-ON): A Post-Genome Wide Association Initiative, served as EGRP's liaison to the
OncoArray Network, was a part of the steering committee for
NCI's Cohort Consortium, and launched the
Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database.
EGRP thanks Drs. Khoury and Seminara for their many years of contributions to the Program and looks forward to the new perspectives and opportunities that Dr. Helzlsouer will bring as Associate Director.