Research Summary

My research interests focus on the relationships among immunology and cancer risk, early diagnosis, development and prognosis especially as it relates to modifiable lifestyle factors/exposures, host and tumor genetics, molecular markers and the microbiome. I have more than 20 years of experience conducting population-based studies of pancreatic cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including extensive analyses of data generated from these projects. Through active involvement in international consortia for pancreatic cancer and NHL, large pooled analyses that include the epidemiological and genetic data from the UCSF studies have allowed us to continue to test hypotheses and contribute new findings to better understand risk and susceptibility for these cancers. More current work includes development of an electronic registry of UCSF patients with pancreatic cysts with a goal to better understand the progression of cysts to pancreatic cancer. In addition, I provide statistical and analytic support for epidemiological and clinical studies of gliomas, liver cancer, and Kaposi's sarcoma in patients living with HIV as well as for the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (currently the Director of the ACSR's Hub for Informatics and Research Support), an NCI-funded HIV malignancy biorepository that supports HIV and cancer research.

Research Funding

  • April 17, 2014 - March 31, 2017 - Pancreatic cystic lesions: descriptive epidemiology and natural history , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA179681
  • September 17, 2010 - August 31, 2013 - Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in women: reproductive, hormonal and genetic factors , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA150037
  • July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2013 - Energy balance and nutrigenetic analysis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA143947
  • September 29, 2005 - June 30, 2012 - Molecular Epidemiology of Pancreatic Cancer , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA109767

Education

University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, BA, Mathematics and Zoology
Boston University, Boston, MA, MPH, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, MS, Biostatistics
University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, PhD, Epidemiology

Honors & Awards

  • 2010
    Lymphoma Foundation of America Young Scientist Award

Selected Publications

  1. Berndt SI, Vijai J, Benavente Y, Camp NJ, Nieters A, Wang Z, Smedby KE, Kleinstern G, Hjalgrim H, Besson C, Skibola CF, Morton LM, Brooks-Wilson AR, Teras LR, Breeze C, Arias J, Adami HO, Albanes D, Anderson KC, Ansell SM, Bassig B, Becker N, Bhatti P, Birmann BM, Boffetta P, Bracci PM, Brennan P, Brown EE, Burdett L, Cannon-Albright LA, Chang ET, Chiu BCH, Chung CC, Clavel J, Cocco P, Colditz G, Conde L, Conti DV, Cox DG, Curtin K, Casabonne D, De Vivo I, Diepstra A, Diver WR, Dogan A, Edlund CK, Foretova L, Fraumeni JF, Gabbas A, Ghesquières H, Giles GG, Glaser S, Glenn M, Glimelius B, Gu J, Habermann TM, Haiman CA, Haioun C, Hofmann JN, Holford TR, Holly EA, Hutchinson A, Izhar A, Jackson RD, Jarrett RF, Kaaks R, Kane E, Kolonel LN, Kong Y, Kraft P, Kricker A, Lake A, Lan Q, Lawrence C, Li D, Liebow M, Link BK, Magnani C, Maynadie M, McKay J, Melbye M, Miligi L, Milne RL, Molina TJ, Monnereau A, Montalvan R, North KE, Novak AJ, Onel K, Purdue MP, Rand KA, Riboli E, Riby J, Roman E, Salles G, Sborov DW, Severson RK, Shanafelt TD, Smith MT, Smith A, Song KW, Song L, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stephens D, Sutherland HJ, Tkachuk K, Thompson CA, Tilly H, Tinker LF, Travis RC, Turner J, Vachon CM, Vajdic CM, Van Den Berg A, Van Den Berg DJ, Vermeulen RCH, Vineis P, Wang SS, Weiderpass E, Weiner GJ, Weinstein S, Doo NW, Ye Y, Yeager M, Yu K, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhang Y, Zheng T, Ziv E, Sampson J, Chatterjee N, Offit K, Cozen W, Wu X, Cerhan JR, Chanock SJ, Slager SL, Rothman N. Correction: Distinct germline genetic susceptibility profiles identified for common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. Leukemia. 2023 Sep 04.  View on PubMed
  2. King SD, Veliginti S, Brouwers MCGJ, Ren Z, Zheng W, Setiawan VW, Wilkens LR, Shu XO, Arslan AA, Beane Freeman LE, Bracci PM, Canzian F, Du M, Gallinger SJ, Giles GG, Goodman PJ, Haiman CA, Kogevinas M, Kooperberg C, LeMarchand L, Neale RE, Visvanathan K, White E, Albanes D, Andreotti G, Babic A, Berndt SI, Brais LK, Brennan P, Buring JE, Rabe KG, Bamlet WR, Chanock SJ, Fuchs CS, Gaziano JM, Giovannucci EL, Hackert T, Hassan MM, Katzke V, Kurtz RC, Lee IM, Malats N, Murphy N, Oberg AL, Orlow I, Porta M, Real FX, Rothman N, Sesso HD, Silverman DT, Thompson IM, Wactawski-Wende J, Wang X, Wentzensen N, Yu H, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Yu K, Wolpin BM, Duell EJ, Li D, Hung RJ, Perdomo S, McCullough ML, Freedman ND, Patel AV, Peters U, Riboli E, Sund M, Tjønneland A, Zhong J, Van Den Eeden SK, Kraft P, Risch HA, Amundadottir LT, Klein AP, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Antwi SO. Genetic Susceptibility to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Risk for Pancreatic Cancer: Mendelian Randomization. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 09 01; 32(9):1265-1269.  View on PubMed
  3. Schraw JM, Petridou ET, Bonaventure A, Dockerty JD, Karalexi M, Ntzani E, Infante-Rivard C, Clavel J, Bracci PM, McKean-Cowdin R, Roman E, Kane E, Erdmann F, Schüz J, Mueller BA, Scheurer ME. Breastfeeding and risk of childhood brain tumors: a report from the Childhood Cancer and Leukemia International Consortium. Cancer Causes Control. 2023 Jul 08.  View on PubMed
  4. McGrath MS, Zhang R, Bracci PM, Azhir A, Forrest BD. Regulation of the Innate Immune System as a Therapeutic Approach to Supporting Respiratory Function in ALS. Cells. 2023 03 28; 12(7).  View on PubMed
  5. Nolan DJ, Rose R, Zhang R, Leong A, Fogel GB, Scholte LLS, Bethony JM, Bracci P, Lamers SL, McGrath MS. The Persistence of HIV Diversity, Transcription, and Nef Protein in Kaposi's Sarcoma Tumors during Antiretroviral Therapy. Viruses. 2022 12 13; 14(12).  View on PubMed
  6. Zhang R, Bracci PM, Azhir A, Forrest BD, McGrath MS. Macrophage-Targeted Sodium Chlorite (NP001) Slows Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) through Regulation of Microbial Translocation. Biomedicines. 2022 Nov 12; 10(11).  View on PubMed
  7. Tang E, Wiencke JK, Warrier G, Hansen H, McCoy L, Rice T, Bracci PM, Wrensch M, Taylor JW, Clarke JL, Koestler DC, Salas LA, Christensen BC, Kelsey KT, Molinaro AM. Evaluation of cross-platform compatibility of a DNA methylation-based glucocorticoid response biomarker. Clin Epigenetics. 2022 10 28; 14(1):136.  View on PubMed
  8. Berndt SI, Vijai J, Benavente Y, Camp NJ, Nieters A, Wang Z, Smedby KE, Kleinstern G, Hjalgrim H, Besson C, Skibola CF, Morton LM, Brooks-Wilson AR, Teras LR, Breeze C, Arias J, Adami HO, Albanes D, Anderson KC, Ansell SM, Bassig B, Becker N, Bhatti P, Birmann BM, Boffetta P, Bracci PM, Brennan P, Brown EE, Burdett L, Cannon-Albright LA, Chang ET, Chiu BCH, Chung CC, Clavel J, Cocco P, Colditz G, Conde L, Conti DV, Cox DG, Curtin K, Casabonne D, De Vivo I, Diepstra A, Diver WR, Dogan A, Edlund CK, Foretova L, Fraumeni JF, Gabbas A, Ghesquières H, Giles GG, Glaser S, Glenn M, Glimelius B, Gu J, Habermann TM, Haiman CA, Haioun C, Hofmann JN, Holford TR, Holly EA, Hutchinson A, Izhar A, Jackson RD, Jarrett RF, Kaaks R, Kane E, Kolonel LN, Kong Y, Kraft P, Kricker A, Lake A, Lan Q, Lawrence C, Li D, Liebow M, Link BK, Magnani C, Maynadie M, McKay J, Melbye M, Miligi L, Milne RL, Molina TJ, Monnereau A, Montalvan R, North KE, Novak AJ, Onel K, Purdue MP, Rand KA, Riboli E, Riby J, Roman E, Salles G, Sborov DW, Severson RK, Shanafelt TD, Smith MT, Smith A, Song KW, Song L, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stephens D, Sutherland HJ, Tkachuk K, Thompson CA, Tilly H, Tinker LF, Travis RC, Turner J, Vachon CM, Vajdic CM, Van Den Berg A, Van Den Berg DJ, Vermeulen RCH, Vineis P, Wang SS, Weiderpass E, Weiner GJ, Weinstein S, Doo NW, Ye Y, Yeager M, Yu K, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhang Y, Zheng T, Ziv E, Sampson J, Chatterjee N, Offit K, Cozen W, Wu X, Cerhan JR, Chanock SJ, Slager SL, Rothman N. Distinct germline genetic susceptibility profiles identified for common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. Leukemia. 2022 12; 36(12):2835-2844.  View on PubMed
  9. Wiencke JK, Molinaro AM, Warrier G, Rice T, Clarke J, Taylor JW, Wrensch M, Hansen H, McCoy L, Tang E, Tamaki SJ, Tamaki CM, Nissen E, Bracci P, Salas LA, Koestler DC, Christensen BC, Zhang Z, Kelsey KT. DNA methylation as a pharmacodynamic marker of glucocorticoid response and glioma survival. Nat Commun. 2022 09 20; 13(1):5505.  View on PubMed
  10. Boyle T, Kleinstern G, Bracci PM, Cerhan JR, Benavente Y, Casabonne D, Chiu BC, Habermann TM, Holly EA, Liebow M, Norman A, Paltiel O, Robinson D, Rothman N, Abu Seir R, Slager SL, Villeneuve PJ, Wang SS, Weisenburger DD, Spinelli JJ. Physical activity and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes: A pooled analysis. Int J Cancer. 2023 02 01; 152(3):396-407.  View on PubMed
  11. Bracci PM, Rice T, Hansen HM, Francis SS, Lee S, McCoy LS, Shrestha PP, Warrier G, Clarke JL, Molinaro AM, Taylor JW, Wiencke JK, Wrensch MR. Pre-surgery immune profiles of adult glioma patients. J Neurooncol. 2022 Aug; 159(1):103-115.  View on PubMed
  12. Miller RG, Zhang R, Bracci PM, Azhir A, Barohn R, Bedlack R, Benatar M, Berry JD, Cudkowicz M, Kasarskis EJ, Mitsumoto H, Manousakis G, Walk D, Oskarsson B, Shefner J, McGrath MS. Phase 2B randomized controlled trial of NP001 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Pre-specified and post hoc analyses. Muscle Nerve. 2022 07; 66(1):39-49.  View on PubMed
  13. Guerra G, Kachuri L, Wendt G, Hansen HM, Mack SJ, Molinaro AM, Rice T, Bracci P, Wiencke JK, Kasahara N, Eckel-Passow JE, Jenkins RB, Wrensch M, Francis SS. The immunogenetics of viral antigen response is associated with subtype-specific glioma risk and survival. Am J Hum Genet. 2022 06 02; 109(6):1105-1116.  View on PubMed
  14. Wang SS, Vajdic CM, Linet MS, Slager SL, Voutsinas J, Nieters A, Casabonne D, Cerhan JR, Cozen W, Alarcón G, Martínez-Maza O, Brown EE, Bracci PM, Turner J, Hjalgrim H, Bhatti P, Zhang Y, Birmann BM, Flowers CR, Paltiel O, Holly EA, Kane E, Weisenburger DD, Maynadié M, Cocco P, Foretova L, Breen EC, Lan Q, Brooks-Wilson A, De Roos AJ, Smith MT, Roman E, Boffetta P, Kricker A, Zheng T, Skibola CF, Clavel J, Monnereau A, Chanock SJ, Rothman N, Benavente Y, Hartge P, Smedby KE. B-Cell NHL Subtype Risk Associated with Autoimmune Conditions and PRS. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 05 04; 31(5):1103-1110.  View on PubMed
  15. Gallant RE, Arroyo K, Bracci PM, Li S, Metayer C, Kogan SC, Wendt GA, Francis SS, de Smith AJ, Wiemels JL. Clinical characteristics of cytomegalovirus-positive pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia at diagnosis. Am J Hematol. 2022 06 01; 97(6):E198-E201.  View on PubMed
  16. Molinaro AM, Wiencke JK, Warrier G, Koestler DC, Chunduru P, Lee JY, Hansen HM, Lee S, Anguiano J, Rice T, Bracci PM, McCoy L, Salas LA, Christensen BC, Wrensch M, Kelsey KT, Taylor JW, Clarke JL. Interactions of Age and Blood Immune Factors and Noninvasive Prediction of Glioma Survival. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 03 08; 114(3):446-457.  View on PubMed
  17. Luks TL, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Weyer-Jamora C, Gehring K, Jakary A, Hervey-Jumper SL, Braunstein SE, Bracci PM, Brie MS, Smith EM, Chang SM, Taylor JW. T2 FLAIR Hyperintensity Volume Is Associated With Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in Clinically Stable Patients With Lower Grade Gliomas. Front Neurol. 2021; 12:769345.  View on PubMed
  18. Julián-Serrano S, Yuan F, Wheeler W, Benyamin B, Machiela MJ, Arslan AA, Beane-Freeman LE, Bracci PM, Duell EJ, Du M, Gallinger S, Giles GG, Goodman PJ, Kooperberg C, Marchand LL, Neale RE, Shu XO, Van Den Eeden SK, Visvanathan K, Zheng W, Albanes D, Andreotti G, Ardanaz E, Babic A, Berndt SI, Brais LK, Brennan P, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Buring JE, Chanock SJ, Childs EJ, Chung CC, Fabiánová E, Foretová L, Fuchs CS, Gaziano JM, Gentiluomo M, Giovannucci EL, Goggins MG, Hackert T, Hartge P, Hassan MM, Holcátová I, Holly EA, Hung RI, Janout V, Kurtz RC, Lee IM, Malats N, McKean D, Milne RL, Newton CC, Oberg AL, Perdomo S, Peters U, Porta M, Rothman N, Schulze MB, Sesso HD, Silverman DT, Thompson IM, Wactawski-Wende J, Weiderpass E, Wenstzensen N, White E, Wilkens LR, Yu H, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhong J, Kraft P, Li D, Campbell PT, Petersen GM, Wolpin BM, Risch HA, Amundadottir LT, Klein AP, Yu K, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ. Hepcidin-regulating iron metabolism genes and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a pathway analysis of genome-wide association studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 10 04; 114(4):1408-1417.  View on PubMed
  19. Markazi A, Meng W, Bracci PM, McGrath MS, Gao SJ. The Role of Bacteria in KSHV Infection and KSHV-Induced Cancers. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Aug 25; 13(17).  View on PubMed
  20. Moore A, Machiela MJ, Machado M, Wang SS, Kane E, Slager SL, Zhou W, Carrington M, Lan Q, Milne RL, Birmann BM, Adami HO, Albanes D, Arslan AA, Becker N, Benavente Y, Bisanzi S, Boffetta P, Bracci PM, Brennan P, Brooks-Wilson AR, Canzian F, Caporaso N, Clavel J, Cocco P, Conde L, Cox DG, Cozen W, Curtin K, De Vivo I, de Sanjose S, Foretova L, Gapstur SM, Ghesquières H, Giles GG, Glenn M, Glimelius B, Gao C, Habermann TM, Hjalgrim H, Jackson RD, Liebow M, Link BK, Maynadie M, McKay J, Melbye M, Miligi L, Molina TJ, Monnereau A, Nieters A, North KE, Offit K, Patel AV, Piro S, Ravichandran V, Riboli E, Salles G, Severson RK, Skibola CF, Smedby KE, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stewart C, Teras LR, Tinker LF, Travis RC, Vajdic CM, Vermeulen RCH, Vijai J, Weiderpass E, Weinstein S, Doo NW, Zhang Y, Zheng T, Chanock SJ, Rothman N, Cerhan JR, Dean M, Camp NJ, Yeager M, Berndt SI. Genome-wide homozygosity and risk of four non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. J Transl Genet Genom. 2021; 5:200-217.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI