Unraveling Genetic Determinants of Lung Cancer Risk in African Americans

描述（由申请人提供）：该职业发展奖将为奥尔德里奇博士提供教学培训和指导，以进一步发展她在遗传学和生物信息学方面的职业生涯，因为它们与不同人群的肺癌有关。虽然奥尔德里奇博士在她的博士和博士后经历中接受了流行病学方法、统计分析和科学写作方面的全面培训，但她需要在她选择的研究领域——癌症的遗传流行病学方面接受进一步的培训。拟议的项目侧重于非裔美国人肺癌风险的遗传流行病学。该项目将作为一个培训机会，使奥尔德里奇博士可以扩大她的方法论重点，并获得遗传学和生物信息学方面的必要培训，最终加强对不同种族人群中与癌症相关的基因的检测。在肺癌生物学、健康差异、遗传流行病学方法和生物信息学方面的新知识和技能将通过课程、研讨会、全国会议和指导获得。她将受到遗传流行病学（Scott M. Williams博士）、肺癌生物学（Pierre Massion博士）和癌症流行病学（William J. Blot博士）领域的顶尖专家的指导。影响肺癌易感性的遗传因素尚未得到充分的研究，特别是在肺癌发病率最高的非裔美国人群体中。本提案的研究目标是利用遗传祖先来识别导致非裔美国人肺癌的遗传变异和基因-环境相互作用。为了确定非裔美国人肺癌的影响因素，本提案的研究目的是：1)进行混合制图；2)发现外显子区域的罕见变异；3)确定当地祖先与环境风险因素之间的相互作用。一项正在进行的前瞻性队列研究，南方社区队列研究，以及全国非裔美国人肺癌协会，将用于拟议的研究。最终，这项研究将有助于确定肺癌的一级和二级预防的高危对象。凭借该职业发展奖项提供的知识和经验，Aldrich博士将准备寻求R01基金，以建立肺癌流行病学的多学科研究项目。从这一职业发展奖项中获得的经验将确保Aldrich博士成功过渡到癌症流行病学的独立研究者，专注于不同种族人群中癌症的遗传和环境决定因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Career Development Award will provide Dr. Aldrich with the didactic training and mentorship needed to further her career in genetics and bioinformatics as they relate to lung cancer in diverse populations. While Dr. Aldrich has had comprehensive training in epidemiologic methodology, statistical analysis, and scientific writing during her doctoral and post-doctoral experiences, she requires further training in her chosen research area, the genetic epidemiology of cancer. The proposed project focuses on genetic epidemiology of lung cancer risk in African Americans. This project will serve as a training opportunity so that Dr. Aldrich can expand her methodological focus and obtain the requisite training in genetics and bioinformatics to ultimately enhance the detection of genes associated with cancer in racially diverse populations. New knowledge and skills in lung cancer biology, health disparities, genetic epidemiology methods, and bioinformatics will be obtained in the training portion of the award through coursework, seminars, national meetings and mentorship. She will be mentored by leading experts in the fields of genetic epidemiology (Dr. Scott M. Williams), lung cancer biology (Dr. Pierre Massion), and cancer epidemiology (Dr. William J. Blot). Genetic factors influencing lung cancer susceptibility have not yet been thoroughly investigated, especially among African Americans, the population with the highest incidence of lung cancer. The research goal of this proposal is to use genetic ancestry to identify genetic variants and gene-environment interactions that contribute to lung cancer in African Americans. To identify factors contributing to lung cancer in African Americans, the research aims of this proposal are: 1) to perform admixture mapping; 2) to discover rare variants in exonic regions; and 3) to identify interactions between local ancestry and environmental risk factors. An ongoing prospective cohort, the Southern Community Cohort Study, as well as the national African American Lung Cancer Consortium, will be utilized in the proposed research. Ultimately this research will assist with the identification of high-risk subjects for primary and secondary prevention of lung cancer. With the knowledge and experience provided by this career development award, Dr. Aldrich will be prepared to seek R01 funding necessary to establish a multidisciplinary research program in lung cancer epidemiology. The experience gained from this career development award will ensure Dr. Aldrich's successful transition into an independent investigator in cancer epidemiology with a focus on genetic and environmental determinants of cancer in racially diverse populations.