Cancer Causes & Control

, Volume 28, Issue 2, pp 167–176 | Cite as

Proceedings of the third international molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) meeting

  • Peter T. Campbell
  • Timothy R. Rebbeck
  • Reiko Nishihara
  • Andrew H. Beck
  • Colin B. Begg
  • Alexei A. Bogdanov
  • Yin Cao
  • Helen G. Coleman
  • Gordon J. Freeman
  • Yujing J. Heng
  • Curtis Huttenhower
  • Rafael A. Irizarry
  • N. Sertac Kip
  • Franziska Michor
  • Daniel Nevo
  • Ulrike Peters
  • Amanda I. Phipps
  • Elizabeth M. Poole
  • Zhi Rong Qian
  • John Quackenbush
  • Harlan Robins
  • Peter K. Rogan
  • Martha L. Slattery
  • Stephanie A. Smith-Warner
  • Mingyang Song
  • Tyler J. VanderWeele
  • Daniel Xia
  • Emily C. Zabor
  • Xuehong Zhang
  • Molin Wang
  • Shuji Ogino
Review
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) is a transdisciplinary and relatively new scientific discipline that integrates theory, methods, and resources from epidemiology, pathology, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and computational biology. The underlying objective of MPE research is to better understand the etiology and progression of complex and heterogeneous human diseases with the goal of informing prevention and treatment efforts in population health and clinical medicine. Although MPE research has been commonly applied to investigating breast, lung, and colorectal cancers, its methodology can be used to study most diseases. Recent successes in MPE studies include: (1) the development of new statistical methods to address etiologic heterogeneity; (2) the enhancement of causal inference; (3) the identification of previously unknown exposure-subtype disease associations; and (4) better understanding of the role of lifestyle/behavioral factors on modifying prognosis according to disease subtype. Central challenges to MPE include the relative lack of transdisciplinary experts, educational programs, and forums to discuss issues related to the advancement of the field. To address these challenges, highlight recent successes in the field, and identify new opportunities, a series of MPE meetings have been held at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Herein, we share the proceedings of the Third International MPE Meeting, held in May 2016 and attended by 150 scientists from 17 countries. Special topics included integration of MPE with immunology and health disparity research. This meeting series will continue to provide an impetus to foster further transdisciplinary integration of divergent scientific fields.

Keywords

Molecular pathological epidemiology Meeting report Proceedings 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Grant support: NIH R13 CA203287 (to S.O.: supported by the National Cancer Institute, National Human Genome Research Institute, and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). R35 CA197735 (to S.O.). P30 CA006516 (Dana–Farber Harvard Cancer Center Support Grant; to E.J. Benz;). Nodal Award (to S.O.) from Dana–Farber Harvard Cancer Center.

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Peter T. Campbell
    • 1
  • Timothy R. Rebbeck
    • 2
    • 3
  • Reiko Nishihara
    • 3
    • 4
  • Andrew H. Beck
    • 5
    • 6
  • Colin B. Begg
    • 7
  • Alexei A. Bogdanov
    • 8
  • Yin Cao
    • 4
    • 9
    • 10
  • Helen G. Coleman
    • 11
  • Gordon J. Freeman
    • 3
  • Yujing J. Heng
    • 5
    • 6
  • Curtis Huttenhower
    • 12
    • 13
  • Rafael A. Irizarry
    • 12
    • 14
  • N. Sertac Kip
    • 15
  • Franziska Michor
    • 12
    • 14
  • Daniel Nevo
    • 2
    • 12
  • Ulrike Peters
    • 16
    • 17
  • Amanda I. Phipps
    • 16
    • 17
  • Elizabeth M. Poole
    • 2
    • 18
  • Zhi Rong Qian
    • 3
  • John Quackenbush
    • 12
    • 14
  • Harlan Robins
    • 16
  • Peter K. Rogan
    • 19
  • Martha L. Slattery
    • 20
  • Stephanie A. Smith-Warner
    • 2
    • 4
  • Mingyang Song
    • 4
    • 9
  • Tyler J. VanderWeele
    • 2
  • Daniel Xia
    • 21
  • Emily C. Zabor
    • 7
  • Xuehong Zhang
    • 18
  • Molin Wang
    • 2
  • Shuji Ogino
    • 2
    • 3
    • 22
    • 23
  1. 1.Epidemiology Research ProgramAmerican Cancer SocietyAtlantaUSA
  2. 2.Department of EpidemiologyHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonUSA
  3. 3.Department of Medical OncologyDana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUSA
  4. 4.Department of NutritionHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonUSA
  5. 5.Cancer Research InstituteBeth Israel Deaconess Cancer CenterBostonUSA
  6. 6.Department of PathologyHarvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBostonUSA
  7. 7.Department of Epidemiology and BiostatisticsMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUSA
  8. 8.Department of RadiologyUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUSA
  9. 9.Clinical and Translational Epidemiology UnitMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUSA
  10. 10.Division of GastroenterologyMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUSA
  11. 11.Epidemiology and Health Services Research Group, Centre for Public HealthQueens University BelfastBelfastNorthern Ireland
  12. 12.Department of BiostatisticsHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBostonUSA
  13. 13.Microbial Systems and Communities, Genome Sequencing and Analysis ProgramThe Broad InstituteCambridgeUSA
  14. 14.Department of Biostatistics and Computational BiologyDana-Farber Cancer InstituteBostonUSA
  15. 15.Laboratory Medicine and PathologyGeisinger Health SystemDanvilleUSA
  16. 16.Public Health Sciences DivisionFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUSA
  17. 17.Department of Epidemiology, School of Public HealthUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUSA
  18. 18.Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of MedicineBrigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUSA
  19. 19.Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Western OntarioLondonCanada
  20. 20.University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake CityUSA
  21. 21.Department of PathologyBrigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUSA
  22. 22.Division of MPE Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of PathologyBrigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUSA
  23. 23.Department of Oncologic PathologyDana-Farber Cancer InstituteBostonUSA

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