Division of Population Science

The Division is active in three key areas that define its strategic priorities and research focus:

1. Building Collaborative Research Partnerships to cultivate clinical and translational research collaborations with a wide array of partners, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers, and diverse patient populations. These partnerships ensure that our research remains grounded in the real-world experiences of those most affected by cancer and help bridge the gap between scientific discovery and community impact.

2. Advancing Comprehensive Cancer Research Across the Continuum as investigators lead innovative studies focused on critical aspects of cancer care and prevention. This includes research on cancer risk assessment, early detection, lifestyle modification, treatment adherence, survivorship, quality of life, and efforts to enhance participation in clinical trials—especially among historically underrepresented groups.

3. Driving Strategic Initiatives in Clinical and Translational Science to support the development, implementation, and rigorous evaluation of forward-looking research initiatives that aim to integrate evidence-based practices into both clinical workflows and community settings. These initiatives are designed to accelerate the uptake of effective interventions and improve outcomes across populations.

From this foundation, three central scientific themes have emerged that characterize and unify the Division’s research portfolio:

Exploring biological, behavioral, and environmental markers and mechanisms that contribute to cancer risk and outcomes, while developing predictive models to inform precision prevention and care.

Investigating how individuals make health-related decisions throughout the cancer care continuum, and designing behavioral interventions to support informed, value-aligned choices.

Identifying and addressing cancer disparities by conducting research that is inclusive, equity-focused, and responsive to the unique needs of underserved and historically marginalized communities.

Expanding Research & Community Engagement

In 2024, our grant portfolio expanded with notable achievements. Dr. Sifat published three first-author papers and co-authored 13 additional manuscripts, presenting at top-tier conferences such as SRNT, SBM, and CCCIF. Supported by a $50,000 ACS IRG grant, our team is investigating smoking cessation interventions for formerly unhoused populations and nearing completion of another ACS project that analyzes social determinants of health in cancer patients. In partnership with Mi Salud and Dr. Brandy-Joe Milliron at Drexel, we are implementing a medical nutrition program for the Hispanic community, funded by a Genentech Community Science Day Pilot Fund Project. Through this and other initiatives, we continue to foster meaningful relationships with community-based organizations and enhance our focus on health equity.

Advancing Biomarker Research & Precision Oncology

The Yang lab initiatives also progressed significantly. This year, Dr. Yang, in collaboration with Dr. Chun, improved the detection sensitivity of our circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration pipeline. Working closely with Drs. Kelly and Zarrabi, we are exploring CTC-based precision medicine approaches for metastatic prostate cancer and, in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Curry in Head and Neck Surgery, generating preliminary data to support the use of saliva-derived CTCs as a high-performance, non-invasive biomarker for the early detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). These findings will support future R01 submissions and accelerate the integration of precision diagnostics into routine clinical practice.

Advancing Data Science Research

In recent years, Drs. Lu-Yao and Nikita’s research portfolio has grown through the successful launch and continuation of multiple funded projects aimed at improving cancer outcomes and promoting health equity using data science approaches. Notably, our Department of Defense (DOD) study is guiding more individualized treatments to reduce disparities and enhance patient well-being for prostate cancer. Through this proposal, we collaborated with Dr. Chris Yang at Drexel and the Veterans Affairs team at Cedar Sinai. Through the SKCC Consortium Multi-PI Collaborative Grant Program, we evaluate how co-medications and co-morbidities shape immunotherapy results in lung cancer patients. Additionally, our PA Cure Grant-backed efforts focus on identifying and alleviating barriers to cutting-edge therapies among underserved populations. Collectively, these initiatives have led to six published papers, strengthening the evidence base and advancing the adoption of targeted, culturally sensitive interventions.