Population Science Program

13.0 Abstract: Population Science (PS) Program The overall goals of the PS Program are to identify determinants of cancer etiology, cancer-related behavior, and outcomes, and to translate basic discovery into behavioral interventions to prevent and control cancer. To achieve these goals, the program focuses on three aims: Aim 1: Epidemiology of infection- and hormone-related cancers, to identify the molecular, genetic, and lifestyle determinants of infection- and hormone-related cancers in the United States and globally; Aim 2: Cancer prevention and early detection, to identify psychosocial influences on cancer-related health behaviors and to develop and evaluate interventions that foster recommended cancer-related behaviors, particularly in medically underserved populations; and Aim 3: Cancer outcomes, to identify mechanisms of cancer treatment-related pain and to characterize individual-, treatment-, and community-level influences in cancer outcomes. The PS Program has 41 members, including 24 full members and 17 associate members, who conduct cancer-focused research supported by $7.7 million annual direct cost funding ($10.1 million total), including $0.92 million (12%) from NCI and $5.3 million from other peer-reviewed sources. PS Program members receive $1.4 million annually from non–peer-reviewed funding sources. During this funding period, PS members authored 396 cancer-related publications, of which 23% resulted from intraprogrammatic, 15% from interprogrammatic, and 4% from intra and interprogrammatic collaborations. Of these publications, 85% include collaborations with external investigators, reflecting the high national impact of the PS Program. Of the PS publications, 10% have an impact factor ≥10. PS faculty make extensive use of the Biostatistics (BSS) and Genomics (GSS) shared services and provide extensive training opportunities. The PS Program has a strong focus on cancer prevention and on research serving the UMGCCC catchment area. This includes a close relationship with Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) to prioritize catchment area cancer research, conduct community cancer control activities, and integrate COE into PS research.