Winter 2021 Issue

Welcome to our Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) quarterly newsletter. The goal in producing this newsletter is to keep our members informed and involved. We are highlighting opportunities for collaborations, new funding opportunities, new grants and promotions, new members, and upcoming seminars and events. We always welcome your suggestions and contributions for future issues. Past issues of the CPC Newsletter can be found online here at the Rutgers Cancer Institute's website.

The Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) Research Stimulus Small Award Program is open and accepting applications. The due date is March 5, 2021. To apply, please click here, select the competition, then login as follows:

Rutgers Members: use your NET ID and password

Princeton Members: register your preferred email address and password (or use existing if already registered)

Sponsored by the Center for Cancer Health Equity (CHE)

Register in advance

March 3, 2021. Vish Viswanath, PhD, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication; Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Global Health and Population; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

March 9, 2021. Christina Studts, PhD, MSPH, LCSW, Implementation Scientist, Associate Professor; Pediatrics; University of Colorado

March 24, 2021. Anthony Alberg, PhD, MD, Professor and Chair, Epidemiology & Biostatistics

Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina

April 21, 2021. Linda M. Collins, PhD, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Biostatistics; Co-Director, Transdisciplinary Research Methods Core; Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, School of Global Public Health, New York University

Host: Sharon Manne, PhD (CPC)

April 28, 2021. Elizabeth M. Cespedes Feliciano, ScD, MSc, Research Scientist II, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research

Hosts: Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD (CPC) & Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH (CPC)

May 12, 2021. Tuya Pal, MD, Associate Director for Cancer Health Disparities,

Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Pediatrics,

Vanderbilt Ingra Cancer Center

For more information on these and other meetings, click the button below to view the full CINJ Research Meetings and Events Calendar.

Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH received the 2021 Emerging Scholar, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education in January 2021.

Yonaira (Yoni) M. Rivera, PhD, MPH won "Best Rapid Fire Talk" at the Promoting Research in Social Media and Health (PRISM) Conference on December 4, 2020, for work from her dissertation on use of social media cancer (mis)information by Latinos.

Chancellor Distinguished Mentor Award was awarded to Cristine D. Delnevo, PhD, MPH, Professor and Director, Center for Tobacco Studies, School of Public Health and the Global Health Institute, for her outstanding mentorship, best evidenced by the positive career trajectories of her mentees.   

Title: "Disrupted Sleep and its Association with Symptom Burden and Reduced Engagement in Supportive Care in Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Patients"

Sponsor: NJCCR

2020-2021. PI: Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS (Co-PI: Michael B. Steinberg, MD, MPH, FACP)

Title: "Administrative Supplements for (P30CA072720) Cancer Center Support Grant/ CCSG Supplement-Tobacco Cessation "

Sponsor: NIH-NCI Supplement

Title: "Evaluation of Tobacco Use and Vaping in COVID‐19 Risk and Severity."

Sponsor: NCI/FDA (via UPenn/Rutgers TCORS)

Title: "Reducing Racial Disparities in Cancer Care with PINPOINT (Promoting Informed approaches iN Precision Oncology and ImmuNoTherapy)"

Sponsor: ACS/Pfizer

Title: "Developing Implementation Approaches to Target Colorectal Cancer Screening among Patients with Diabetes in Safety-net Primary Care Settings "

Sponsor: Patterson Trust Mentored Research Award: Clinical, Health Services and Policy Research

Title: "Optimizing Colorectal Cancer Screening among Patients with Diabetes in Safety-Net Primary Care Settings: Targeting Implementation Approaches"

Sponsor: NIH - NCI K99 Award

Title: "Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use and Adverse Events Among Individuals with Melanoma and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer."

Sponsor: Robert Leet Patterson and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust Mentored Research Award

The study, which is a three-year project funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), aims to prevent cancer in volunteer firefighters by better understanding the risk factors and their exposures to cancer-causing agents. Principal Investigator, Dr. Judith Graber, Associate Professor, Rutgers School of Public health.

The Cancer Assessment and Prevention Study (CAPS) will work with fire departments across the state and offer firefighters the opportunity to be part of the national Fire Fighters Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS), an ongoing study of cancer and cancer risk among firefighters. CAPS will also work with state and national partners to engage volunteer fire departments throughout the nation in their research and to disseminate their findings to help reduce cancer risk in volunteer firefighters. To view the full article click here.

Inherited Cancer Syndrome Collaborative (ICSC)

Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR, presented "Comparative Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Guideline-based Genetic Counseling in Ethnically and Geographically Diverse Cancer Survivors."

Denalee O'Malley, M.S.W., Ph.D. presented "Correlates to Daily Aspirin Use and Genomic Testing Interest for Recurrence Risk Management in a Diverse Sample of Colorectal Cancer Survivors"

Authors: O'Malley D.M., Blair C.K., Greenbaum A., Wiggins C.L., Rajput A., Chiu V.K. Kinney A.Y.

(virtual: poster flash talk)

Kevin Schroth, JD, Associate Professor, Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, presented "Challenges for Laws Restricting Tobacco Flavors."

Elisa V. Bandera, MD, PhD, served as session chair, speaker, and member of the Steering Committee in the National Cancer Institute's Alcohol and Cancer Workshop (virtual).

October 13, 2020. Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR, presented "Maximizing Impact by Overcoming Translational Divides in Genomics, Disparities and Population Health" at Newark Medical School Grand Rounds.

October 23, 2020. Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH presented "Exploration of Personal Care Products as Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer." at the Research Ethics and Professional Development Seminar, Georgetown University, Washington, DC (virtual).

November 5, 2020. Ollie Ganz, DrPH, MSPH, gave an invited talk entitled, “The Role of Marketing in the Promotion and Prevention of Tobacco Use Among Vulnerable Populations” for the Division of Epidemiology Thursday Seminar Series, Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (virtual).

December 4, 2020. Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH presented "Adipokine and Adipokine Receptor Expression in the Breast Tumor Microenvironment: Associations with More Aggressive Clinicopathology." at the Chronic Diseases Epidemiology Unit Seminar, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, New York, NY (virtual).

November 5, 2020. Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH presented, "Associations of Characteristics of Hair Dye and Relaxer Use with Breast Cancer: Findings from the Women’s Circle of Health Study." at the Human Exposures and Outcomes (HEO) Core Meeting, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ (virtual).

November 20, 2020. Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR, Professor, Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Director, Center for Cancer Health Equity, Rutgers School of Public Health, Associate Director for Population Science and Community Outreach, Director, ScreenNJ, Member, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented “Maximizing Impact by Overcoming Cancer Disparities and Translational Divides in Genomics, Public Health and Care Delivery” at the CINJ & Princeton Cancer Research Symposium.

November 20, 2020. Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH, Director, Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, Professor, Department of Health Behavior, Society & Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, Member, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey “Policy and Regulatory Tools to Curb Tobacco Caused Cancers” at the CINJ & Princeton Cancer Research Symposium.

October 14, 2020. Nir Eyal, DPhil; Henry Rutgers Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Center of Population-Level Bioethics (CPLB), Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy Rutgers School of Public Health, presented “Ethical Tradeoffs between Different Populations’ Health Interests—

November 4, 2020. David Weinberg, MD, MSc; Chair, Department of Medicine, Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Audrey Weg Schaus and Geoffrey Alan Weg Chair in Medical Science, Fox Chase Cancer Center presented "Present and Future Management Strategies of Pancreatic Cysts"

November 11, 2020. David Buller, PhD; Senior Scientist and Director of Research, Klein Buendel, Inc presented "Cancer Prevention Policy: Promoting Adoption and Implementation of Sun Safe Policy"

November 12, 2020. Sandi Pruitt, PhD; Associate Professor Population and Data Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, presented "Populations and Places: Using Multi-Level Data to Improve Cancer Equity"

Host: Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR (CHE)

December 2, 2020. Michael R. Irwin, MD; Cousins Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Bio Behavioral Sciences, Director, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Director, Mindful Awareness Research Center presented "Depression, Sleep, and Mindfulness through a Psycho-Neuro-Immunologic Lens."

Host: Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR (CPC)

January 12, 2021. Rick Kittles, PhD; Associate Director of Health Equities City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Professor and Director, Division of Health Equities, Department of Population Sciences, presented "Leveraging Genetic Ancestry to Study Health Disparities."

Hosts: Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR (CHE) & Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH

February 10, 2021. David Conroy, PhD, Professor of Kinesiology and Human Development & Family Studies; Penn State Cancer Institute; The Pennsylvania State University

Carolyn Heckman, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-leader Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented "Review Criteria for Research Programs at NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers."

Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD, Professor and Section Chief, Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes, Co-leader of Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented "CINJ Cancer Prevention and Control Program (CPC) Aims, Progress, Challenges and Future Plans."

Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR, Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Director, Center for Cancer Health Equity, School of Public Health, Associate Director for Population Science and Community Outreach, Director, ScreenNJ, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented on the CINJ Catchment Area.

Sharon Manne, PhD, Professor and Section Chief, Behavioral Sciences, Co-Director, Center of Excellence in Cancer Survivorship, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented an "Update from the Center of Excellence in Cancer Survivorship."

Cristine Delnevo, PhD, MPH, Director, Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, Professor, Department of Health Behavior, Society & Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, presented an "Update from the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies."

Bo (Bonnie) Qin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented "A Multilevel Approach to Cardiovascular Health among Black Breast Cancer Survivors"

Nur Zeinomar, PhD, MPH, Instructor of Medicine, Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented "Generalizability of Polygenic Risk Scores for Breast Cancer in the Multiethnic eMERGE Study"

Trishnee Bhurosy, PhD, Research Associate II, Behavioral Sciences, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey presented "An mHealth trial to improve red/orange vegetable intake: Mediation effects on perceived behavioral control"

Irina Grafova, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Systems and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health presented "Financial toxicity of cancer: unmet need among the NJSCR Survivor Cohort"

Carolyn Heckman, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Co-leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, presented "Association between state policies and tanning search data from Google Trends"

Ollie Ganz, DrPH, MSPH, Instructor, Health Behavior, Society and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, presented "Increasing Prevalence of Mental Health Problems among Menthol Cigarette Smokers: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2008-2018"

Olivia Wakowski, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, presented "Testing Messages about Tobacco Product Risks – Warning Labels and Modified Risk Claims"

Michael Steinberg, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Medical Director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, presented "EMR-based Assessment of Tobacco Use and Lung Cancer Screening among Patients in Primary Care"

December 21, 2020. Jaya M. Satagopan, PhD, Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health was recently elected to Board of Trustees, International Indian Statistical Association (2021 - 2023).

October 2020. Jaya M. Satagopan, PhD, Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health served as Ad Hoc member of "Biostatistical Methods and Research Design" (BMRD) study section of the National Institutes of Health.

November 2020. Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH served as a Program Planning Co-Chair, for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Cancer Forum Leadership Council.

November 2020. Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH was newly appointed as the Associate Editor of BMC Women’s Health, Biomed Central-Series Journal.

Michelle T. Bover Manderski, PhD, MPH was the Special Guest Editor, "Measurement and Evaluation of Occupational and Behavioral Exposures" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021, and serves on the Editorial Board for Tobacco Regulatory Science.

For National Prostate Cancer Awareness month in September, NCI's Behavioral Research Program (BRP) featured Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR and Michael R. Irwin, M.D for their R01 "Biobehavioral Effects of Qigong for Prostate Cancer Survivors with Fatigue."

Anita Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR was featured in an Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Voice article, "Telegenetic Counseling Bridges Geographic Barriers and Minimizes Distress" discussing her 2009–2014 study, Bridging Geographic Barriers: Remote Cancer Genetics Counseling for Rural Women, also known as the REACH Project (Risk Education and Assessment for Cancer Heredity).

Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD was a Special Guest in Tweetchat for Salud America (@SaludAmerica #SaludTues) “How to prevent breast cancer and improve survivorship among Latinas” co-hosted by the National Hispanic Medical Association and Breast Cancer Research Foundation; October 27, 2020

Please acknowledge the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) in publications that resulted from any CCSG support such as: Pilot Award/New Investigator funds, use of Office of Human Research Services (OHRS), and/or use of any supported Shared Resource. Publications that acknowledge the CCSG must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy

The term “catchment area” is often not immediately familiar to members of the Research Programs. In the simplest terms, the catchment area is the geographic area served by an institution. Rutgers Cancer Institute’s catchment area is the entire state of New Jersey, a place with great racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other diversity and multiple cancer health equity issues. As the only NCI-designated cancer center in New Jersey, Rutgers Cancer Institute’s catchment area work includes establishing and aligning research priorities based upon the populations and communities for which there are the greatest disparities in cancer incidence, morbidity, and/or mortality.

Research relevant to the catchment area applies to basic, translational, and clinical researchers as much as it does to those in population science. For example, basic laboratory research on lung cancer, efforts to engage more diverse patient populations in cancer clinical trials, and genomics research on hereditary cancer could all be considered catchment area relevant, for they align with research priorities set forth by Rutgers Cancer Institute to promote cancer health equity and reduce disparities. Researchers who consider their current and future research endeavors from the catchment area perspective may find new opportunities for funding and collaboration, as well as added significance to their already important work. This new section of the newsletter will serve to inform and link the Basic and Clinical Research Program members with such resources and opportunities.

Those interested in learning more about catchment area alignment, and who may already be doing catchment area relevant research, are encouraged to contact Rita Musanti, PhD, APN-BC, Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, at rita.musanti@rutgers.edu

Academy Health 2021 Health Datapalooza & National Health Policy, February 16 - 18, 2021

SNRT 2021 Annual Meeting, February 24 - 27, 2021

ASPO 45th Annual Meeting, March 29 - April 1, 2021

AACR Annual Meeting, April 10 - 15 & May 17 - 21, 2021

SBM 42nd Annual Meeting, April 12 - 16, 2021

For a full list of recent manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations please visit the Researcher Profiles webpage.