Division of Population Sciences Centers

The four core centers and programs that comprise the Division of Population Sciences are: the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention; the Center for Outcomes and Policy Research; the Center for Community-Based Research; and the Translational Informatics Group.

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Judy Garber, MD, MPH

Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention

Cancer Genetics and Prevention Research Program

Investigators in the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention, led by Judy Garber, MD, MPH, are focused on understanding the role of germline mutations in contributing to cancer risk, prognosis, and response to treatment. Researchers have pioneered ways to identify and treat patients with BRCA-associated breast cancer, Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer, Li Fraumeni Syndrome, as well as many other familial cancer syndromes. Key research relates to the development of strategies to identify families with inherited cancer susceptibility and ways to help them to mitigate risk. An emerging set of projects evaluates treatment strategies that are tailored to the distinct biology of cancers that arise in the setting of germline mutations. Researchers collaborate with local, national, and international investigators and lead large multi-site collaborations aimed at decreasing the burden of cancer driven by heritable risk.

Cancer Genetics and Prevention Clinical Program

The Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention includes a remarkable team of medical and surgical oncologists, gastroenterologists, geneticists, genetic counselors, gynecologists, and nurses who provide leading edge cancer risk assessment and comprehensive recommendations for managing cancer risk. We partner with clinicians from diverse specialties, offering cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling and testing, and continuing educational resources in the complex and dynamic field of cancer genetics.

We work in collaboration with patients and their providers to offer our expertise in the assessment and management of all forms of inherited cancer syndromes. In addition, our team is prepared to assist with the introduction of newer genetic testing methods and the germline aspects of personalized cancer medicine.

Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH
Susan F. Smith Chair, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention

Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Director, Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics and Prevention Clinic
Director of Research, Division of Genetics and Prevention, Gastrointestinal Cancer

Ramona Lim, MD
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Timothy Rebbeck, PhD
Vincent L. Gregory, Jr. Professor of Cancer Prevention
Director, Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
Professor of Cancer Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Huma Q. Rana, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Clinical Director, Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention

Matthew B. Yurgelun, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Learn more about the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention

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Jennifer Mack, MD, MPH

Center for Outcomes and Policy Research

Led by the Center's Director Jennifer Mack, MD, MPH, researchers at the Division of Population Science's Center for Outcomes and Policy Research, founded in 1995 by Jane Weeks, MD, MSc, aim to enhance the outcomes of interventions to prevent and treat cancer from both efficacy and cost-effectiveness perspectives. Investigations focus on optimizing the patient experience by ensuring that clinical and societal resources from interventions to services are utilized in the best possible way. By identifying determinants of the quality of care patients receive, investigators can work toward eliminating barriers to optimal care and translate their findings and programs on a large scale.

Jennifer W. Mack, MD, MPH
Associate Chief, Division of Population Sciences
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Director, Center for Outcomes and Policy Research

Gregory A. Abel, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Kira Bona, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Christina Dieli-Conwright, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Andrea Enzinger, MD
Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Andrew Hantel, MD
Instructor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Christopher Manz, MD, MSHP
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Catherine Marinac, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Oreofe Odejide, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rinaa S. Punglia, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School

Alexi Wright, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Hajime Uno, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

 

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Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH

Center for Community-Based Research (CCBR)

The mission of the Center for Community-Based Research, led by Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH, is to address and reduce cancer risk and mitigate cancer disparities through community-based and communication research and translation of research findings in the United States and globally. The Center aims to achieve these goals through documenting social and behavioral determinants of cancer risk, developing and testing interventions to reduce cancer risk, and studying their dissemination and implementation to maximize effective translation to influence policy and practice. The Center conducts research across the cancer control continuum, e.g., methods development, efficacy and effectiveness testing, implementation and dissemination research. The Center’s cancer prevention and control research focus includes the following core priorities:

  • Generate evidence on social and behavioral determinants of cancer risk
  • Translate evidence into effective cancer prevention interventions, communications, and policies
  • Disseminate evidence-based approaches to reduce cancer-related health disparities

Glorian C. Sorensen, PhD, MPH
Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Director, Center for Community-Based Research

K. "Vish" Viswanath, PhD
Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Director, Health Communication Core, DF/HCC  

Learn more about the Center for Community-Based Research.

Learn about the research partnership in cancer health disparities between Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts/Boston.

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Alexander Gusev, PhD

Clinical Computational Oncology Group (CCOG)

Researchers in the Clinical Computational Oncology Group (CCOG) within the Division of Population Sciences aim to integrate large molecular, clinical, administrative, survey, and biometric datasets to drive biomarker discovery, treatment selection, and cancer care delivery strategies. Their work utilizes a range of analytic techniques from traditional statistics, machine learning, and natural language processing applied to heterogeneous sources of data to develop integrative models of therapeutic benefit, and to measure their impact in the context of rapid therapeutic innovation. The group’s overarching goal is to translate data into evidence that informs patient care and population health. Their research is highly interdisciplinary and includes close collaborations with clinicians, data scientists, informaticians, epidemiologists, and molecular biologists across Dana-Farber, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and beyond.

Alexander Gusev, PhD
Lead, Clinical Computational Oncology Group
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Eliezer M. Van Allen, MD
Chief, Division of Population Sciences, Department of Medical Oncology
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Associate Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Saud H. Aldubayan, MD
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Sylvan Baca, MD, PhD
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Haitham A. Elmarakeby, PhD
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Riaz Gillani, MD
Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Michael Hassett, MD, MPH
Chief Quality Officer
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Kenneth Kehl, MD, MPH 
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

David Liu, MD, MPH, MS 
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

 

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Marilyn Hammer, PhD, RN

Affiliated Center: The Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services

Established in 2001, The Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services conducts and promotes research focused on the patient/family experience of living with and beyond cancer, with an emphasis on symptoms, interventions, and outcomes. In alignment with DFCI at large, the primary purpose of the Center's research is to reduce the burden of cancer through scholarly inquiry and rigorous research.

Two central objectives are:

  • The promotion of excellence in direct nursing care for Dana-Farber patients
  • The conduct of original research to generate new knowledge for nursing practice

Led by director Marilyn Hammer, PhD, RN, the faculty and staff of the Cantor Center engage in a variety of studies that encompass understanding biological mechanisms, differences in symptom experiences, improving symptom management, aiding patient decision-making, and understanding family/caregiver needs. Throughout these research studies, emphasis is placed on ensuring inclusivity, diversity, and equity. Nurse scientists at the Cantor Center collaborate with other research scientists across the Institute and work closely with direct care nurses, post-doctoral fellows, and students at Dana-Farber and other collaborating institutions in research relevant to their fields of expertise, creating a direct link between science and practice.