Environmental Epidemiology Branch (EEB)

Gary Ellison, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Acting Branch Chief

Related Resources

Biomarkers
Early Life Exposures
Environmental Epidemiology
Gene-Environment Research and Cancer Epidemiology
Global Health and Cancer Epidemiology
Health Disparities
Infectious Agents and Cancer

The Environmental Epidemiology Branch (EEB) focuses on factors to reduce cancer risk in humans, including exposures to physical and chemical agents; nutritional components; physical activity and energy balance; alcohol and tobacco; and infectious agents.

EEB's mission is to plan, develop, direct, coordinate, and evaluate:

A comprehensive program of extramural epidemiologic research in the etiology of cancer in human populations relating to factors that may be modifiable, such as physical and chemical agents, nutrition, physical activity and energy balance, and infectious diseases;
A program of extramural epidemiologic research to study differences in cancer susceptibility and risk in individuals and populations and the multiple environmental and genetic factors that jointly contribute to cancer, with the ultimate goal of elucidating the etiology of cancer;
A program of extramural epidemiologic research to evaluate the association of and magnitude of cancer risk associated with biomarkers of exposure, biologically effective dose, and early damage; and
Research resources, infrastructures, and consortia with a focus on modifiable risk factors to facilitate and maximize the scientific potential of cancer epidemiology research.

Its mission is also to disseminate findings from the research supported by the Branch to the public, health care professionals, scientists engaged in cancer control, and the public health community.

EEB Staff

Branch	Name / Title / Contact Info	Interest Areas
EEB	Ellison, Gary L., Ph.D., M.P.H. Acting Branch Chief Phone: (240) 276-6783 Email: ellisong@mail.nih.gov	Elucidating the role of physical and chemical exposures, lifestyle, and the macro-environment in cancer incidence and progression Cancer disparities Early-life environmental factors Global health Cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and rectum
EEB	Dold, Georgia Extramural Support Specialist Phone: (240) 276-6784 Email: georgiadold@mail.nih.gov	Not Available
EEB	Lai, Gabriel, Ph.D. Program Director Phone: (240) 276-7201 Email: laigy@mail.nih.gov	Modifiable and lifestyle factors—such as diet and nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and energy metabolism—related to cancer risk and etiology and other cancer-related outcomes Cancer disparities in racial/ethnic groups in the United States and other countries; global health Early-life exposures
EEB	Lam, Tram K., Ph.D., M.P.H. Program Director Phone: (240) 276-6967 Email: lamt@nih.gov	Cancer epidemiology, including infectious agents, lifestyle factors, genomic factors, gene-environment interactions Infection-related cancers, pathogen-host co-evolution, novel infectious agents Knowledge integration/meta-research to advance research by synthesizing cross-disciplinary knowledge, identifying scientific gaps, and translating epidemiologic findings Understudied/under-researched populations in cancer epidemiology, health disparities
EEB	Lee, Jennifer, M.P.H. Cancer Research Training Award Fellow Phone: (240) 276-7333 Email: jennifer.lee7@nih.gov	Dietary and lifestyle factors Obesity Energy balance Physical activity Pediatric nutrition
EEB	Mahabir, Somdat, Ph.D., M.P.H. Program Director Phone: (240) 276-6941 Email: mahabir@mail.nih.gov	Early-life factors and cancer development later in life (childhood and adult cancers) Nutrition, energetics, and other lifestyle factors in cancer epidemiology Nutraceuticals and cancer Use of "omics" approaches to understand the links between lifestyle factors and the genome, epigenome, microbiome, and metabolome on cancer prevention, etiology, treatment, and survival Cancer and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean/Latin America
EEB	Starks, Vaurice L. Program Director Phone: (301) 624-1299 Email: starksv@mail.nih.gov	Infectious disease epidemiology

Return to Top