Research Summary

My main research interests are in understanding how diet, exercise, other lifestyle factors, and genetics contribute to cancer progression and death. Our program aims to identify modifiable risk factors for cancer progression, use this information to better understand cancer biology, and inform public health guidelines. I have worked in this area, with a specific focus on prostate cancer, for ~25 years. Our work is highly collaborative - our clinical and translational studies work to identify risk-reduction strategies for men with or at high risk for prostate cancer, evaluate novel molecular markers of prostate cancer aggressiveness that may improve screening, diagnosis, or prognosis of clinically relevant disease, and improve cancer survivorship for the millions of men living with prostate cancer worldwide.

I lead / have led multiple randomized controlled trials and cohort studies focused on health behaviors and prostate cancer survivorship. I also collaborate with team members on behavioral interventions and observational research in bladder, colorectal, and kidney cancer. A current focus is on building the Eat Move Sleep study, focused on enrolling people with cancer who have been under-represented in research historically. With this study, we aim to examine social and financial factors, health behaviors, and clinical and quality of life outcomes in people with cancer.  

Research Funding

  • August 15, 2022 - April 30, 2027 - Short Courses on the Conduct of Reproducible Aging Research with Big Data , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R25AG078149
  • April 14, 2014 - February 28, 2021 - Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Genomic Signatures of Prostate Cancer Prognosis , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA181802
  • September 1, 2006 - August 31, 2011 - Prostate Microenvironmental &Prostate Cancer Progression , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA106947

Education

Harvard College, Cambridge, MA , B.A., 1994, Applied Math in Biology
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, ScD, 11/98, Epidemiology (Cancer)
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 11/98-11/00, Postdoctoral Fellow-Epidemiology

Honors & Awards

  • 1994-96
    Fulbright Scholar, Uppsala University, Sweden, Dept. of Medical Epidemiology
  • 1996 & 1997
    Pforzheimer Public Service Fellowship, Harvard University
  • 1998
    Society for Epidemiologic Research Abraham Lilienfeld Student Prize
  • 1998
    Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate ("CaPCURE") - Young Investigator Award
  • 2000
    AACR-AFLAC Young Investigator Scholars in Cancer Research Award
  • 2001
    REAC Intramural award, UCSF
  • 2002
    AACR-California Department of Health Services Early Career Development Award in Gender-Related Cancer Research (prostate)
  • 2003
    Prostate Cancer Foundation ("CaPCURE") - Competitive Award (6/03 & 12/03)
  • UCSF Equal Opportunity Faculty Development Award
  • 2009
    Awarded Steven & Christine Burd-Safeway Distinguished Professorship, Urology, UCSF

Selected Publications

  1. Loeb S, Robbins R, Sanchez-Nolasco T, Byrne N, Ruan A, Rivera A, Gupta N, Kenfield SA, Chan JM, Van Blarigan EL, Carter P, Jean-Louis G, Orstad SL. Sleep and health improvement programme (SHIP) for patients with prostate cancer and caregivers. BJUI Compass. 2024 Oct; 5(10):976-985.  View on PubMed
  2. García-Albéniz X, Hsu J, Etzioni R, Chan JM, Shi J, Dickerman B, Hernán MA. Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening and Prostate Cancer Mortality: An Emulation of Target Trials in US Medicare. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2024 Aug; 8:e2400094.  View on PubMed
  3. Loeb S, Langford AT, Bragg MA, Sherman R, Chan JM. Cancer misinformation on social media. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024 Sep-Oct; 74(5):453-464.  View on PubMed
  4. Liu VN, Van Blarigan EL, Zhang L, Graff RE, Loeb S, Langlais CS, Cowan JE, Carroll PR, Chan JM, Kenfield SA. Plant-Based Diets and Disease Progression in Men With Prostate Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 01; 7(5):e249053.  View on PubMed
  5. Loeb S, Hua Q, Bauer SR, Kenfield SA, Morgans AK, Chan JM, Van Blarigan EL, Shreves AH, Mucci LA. Plant-based diet associated with better quality of life in prostate cancer survivors. Cancer. 2024 May 01; 130(9):1618-1628.  View on PubMed
  6. Braun AE, Chan JM, Neuhaus J, Cowan JE, Kenfield SA, Van Blarigan EL, Tenggara I, Broering JM, Simko JP, Carroll PR, Cooperberg MR. The impact of genomic biomarkers on a clinical risk prediction model for upgrading/upstaging among men with favorable-risk prostate cancer. Cancer. 2024 May 15; 130(10):1766-1772.  View on PubMed
  7. Andemeskel G, Palmer NR, Pasick R, Van Blarigan EL, Kenfield SA, Graff RE, Shaw M, Yu W, Sanchez M, Hernandez R, Washington SL, Shariff-Marco S, Rhoads KF, Chan JM. Engaging communities to inform the development of a diverse cohort of cancer survivors: formative research for the eat move sleep study (EMOVES). Res Involv Engagem. 2023 Dec 11; 9(1):117.  View on PubMed
  8. Van Blarigan EL, Kenfield SA, Olshen A, Panchal N, Encabo K, Tenggara I, Graff RE, Bang AS, Shinohara K, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Jones LW, Winters-Stone K, Luke A, Chan JM. Effect of a Home-based Walking Intervention on Cardiopulmonary Fitness and Quality of Life Among Men with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance: The Active Surveillance Exercise Randomized Controlled Trial. Eur Urol Oncol. 2024 Jun; 7(3):519-526.  View on PubMed
  9. Kenfield SA, Chan JM. Meeting Exercise Recommendations Is Beneficial for Cancer Survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2023 Nov 10; 41(32):4965-4967.  View on PubMed
  10. Schroer AB, Ventura PB, Sucharov J, Misra R, Chui MKK, Bieri G, Horowitz AM, Smith LK, Encabo K, Tenggara I, Couthouis J, Gross JD, Chan JM, Luke A, Villeda SA. Platelet factors attenuate inflammation and rescue cognition in ageing. Nature. 2023 Aug; 620(7976):1071-1079.  View on PubMed
  11. Xiong F, Dai Q, Zhang S, Bent S, Tahir P, Van Blarigan EL, Kenfield SA, Chan JM, Schmajuk G, Graff RE. Diabetes and incidence of breast cancer and its molecular subtypes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2024 Jan; 40(1):e3709.  View on PubMed
  12. Kyaw TS, Upadhyay V, Tolstykh I, Van Loon K, Laffan A, Stanfield D, Gempis D, Kenfield SA, Chan JM, Piawah S, Atreya CE, Ng K, Venook A, Kidder W, Turnbaugh PJ, Van Blarigan EL. Variety of Fruit and Vegetables and Alcohol Intake are Associated with Gut Microbial Species and Gene Abundance in Colorectal Cancer Survivors. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 09; 118(3):518-529.  View on PubMed
  13. Liu VN, Zuniga KB, Paciorek A, Zhang L, Chan JM, Carroll PR, Van Loon K, Laffan A, Venook A, Van Blarigan EL, Kenfield SA. Barriers and confidence among colorectal and prostate cancer survivors participating in two behavioral intervention studies. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Jul 10; 31(8):453.  View on PubMed
  14. Xiong F, Wang J, Nierenberg JL, Van Blarigan EL, Kenfield SA, Chan JM, Schmajuk G, Huang CY, Graff RE. Diabetes mellitus and risk of breast cancer: a large-scale, prospective, population-based study. Br J Cancer. 2023 09; 129(4):648-655.  View on PubMed
  15. Wang EY, Borno HT, Washington Iii SL, Friedlander T, Zhang S, Trejo E, Van Blarigan EL, Chan JM, Shariff-Marco S, Beatty AL, Kenfield SA. Engaging Men of Diverse Racial and Ethnic Groups With Advanced Prostate Cancer in the Design of an mHealth Diet and Exercise Intervention: Focus Group Study. JMIR Cancer. 2023 Jun 01; 9:e45432.  View on PubMed
  16. Langlais CS, Graff RE, Van Blarigan EL, Neuhaus JM, Cowan JE, Broering JM, Carroll P, Kenfield SA, Chan JM. Post-diagnostic health behaviour scores and risk of prostate cancer progression and mortality. Br J Cancer. 2023 08; 129(2):346-355.  View on PubMed
  17. Kenfield SA, Van Blarigan EL, Graff RE, Borno HT, Macaire G, Chan JM. Nutrition Guidance for Patients on Androgen Deprivation Therapy. Eur Urol Focus. 2023 05; 9(3):427-430.  View on PubMed
  18. Wang L, Langlais C, Kenfield SA, Van Loon K, Laffan A, Atreya CE, Chan JM, Zhang L, Allen IE, Miaskowski C, Fukuoka Y, Meyerhardt JA, Venook AP, Van Blarigan EL. Quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors participating in a pilot randomized controlled trial of a web-based dietary intervention with text messages. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Feb 10; 31(3):155.  View on PubMed
  19. Van Blarigan EL, Chan JM, Sanchez A, Zhang L, Winters-Stone K, Liu V, Macaire G, Panchal N, Graff RE, Tenggara I, Luke A, Simko JP, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Kenfield SA. Protocol for a 4-arm randomized controlled trial testing remotely delivered exercise-only, diet-only, and exercise + diet interventions among men with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (Prostate 8-II). Contemp Clin Trials. 2023 02; 125:107079.  View on PubMed
  20. Langlais CS, Chen YH, Van Blarigan EL, Chan JM, Ryan CJ, Zhang L, Borno HT, Newton RU, Luke A, Bang AS, Panchal N, Tenggara I, Schultz B, Lavaki E, Pinto N, Aggarwal R, Friedlander T, Koshkin VS, Harzstark AL, Small EJ, Kenfield SA. Quality of life for men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer participating in an aerobic and resistance exercise pilot intervention. Urol Oncol. 2023 03; 41(3):146.e1-146.e11.  View on PubMed

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