Research

Faculty in the McGraw/Patterson Division of Population Sciences investigate strategies to move basic and clinical discoveries from research to clinical practice and then to communities, so that knowledge achieves maximum benefit for human health. Population Sciences faculty conduct research that includes identification of cancer risk, risk mitigation, early detection, prevention, delivery of cancer care, and health policy. Our project portfolio includes each of the themes shown in the figure below, and most faculty have projects spanning several themes.

Many faculty are physicians with expertise in diverse medical fields (genetics, internal medicine, pediatric, medical, surgical and radiation oncology) and have joint appointments within a clinical division or department. Others have doctoral training in epidemiology, health services, behavioral health, informatics, and data science. The Division is closely allied with the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention and is home to several research cores, the cancer registry, and a T32 training program in cancer-focused population sciences. Members have academic appointments at either Harvard Medical School or the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

Adjacent to the campus of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the Division of Population Sciences investigators collaborate with laboratory scientists and clinical researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), and investigators around the world. Training the next generation of cancer-focused population scientists is a core part of our mission. Through these collaborative efforts, population scientists work together toward a shared goal — finding and validating innovative ways to reduce the burden of cancer. The Division thrives as a cornerstone of Dana-Farber's commitment to cancer control research.