Research/Areas of Interest
1-Carbon nutrients: modulation of carcinogenesis
Obesity: modulation of carcinogenesis
Colonic microbiome and carcinogenesis
Education
- M.D., University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, United States
- B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, United States, 1981
Biography
My long standing research interest has been basic and applied issues pertaining to the intestinal metabolism of the B vitamin, folate. Over the past two decades, this interest has largely been focused on the question of how alterations in folate status modulate the process of carcinogenesis in the colorectum. My research program encompasses cell culture studies, animal models of carcinogenesis, as well as studies in human subjects. Much of my work has pursued the identification of the molecular mechanism(s) by which this effect is mediated. I have also emphasized the conduct of translational studies to determine the applicability of these mechanistic issues in humans. These human studies have examined both the effects of dietary folate deprivation and folic acid supplementation on biochemical and molecular features of the colon. Consequentially, I have been drawn deeply into the field of biochemical and molecular markers of colon cancer, as well as into issues pertaining to the conduct of large, multi-center trials. More recently this work has extended into examinations of the issue in other organs such as the lung, breast, and oral cavity, and I have also extended our work to include other biochemically related nutrients such as vitamins B-2, B-6, and B-12.