Research Summary

Dr. Scarlett Lin Gomez is an epidemiologist with research interests in the role of structural and social drivers/determinants of health on health outcomes. She is also Director of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, which is a part of the California Cancer Registry and the NCI Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) Program. She has contributed surveillance data regarding cancer incidence and outcome patterns and trends for distinct Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander and Hispanic ethnic groups, as well as cancer patterns by nativity status and neighborhood characteristics. She developed the California Neighborhoods Data System, a compilation of small-area level data on social and built environment characteristics, and has used these data in studies to evaluate the impact of structural, social and built neighborhood environment factors on disease outcomes.

Research Funding

  • July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2025 - Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Ovarian Cancer Treatment and Survival: An Integrative Approach , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA243188
  • June 8, 2020 - May 31, 2025 - Insights from Asian Populations into Disparities in Breast Cancer Prognosis and Outcomes , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA241125
  • February 1, 2020 - November 30, 2024 - Elucidating Lung Cancer Etiology Among Asian American Female Never Smokers , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01MD014859
  • June 10, 2019 - May 31, 2024 - Cancer Registry for Understanding and Improving Survivorship Experiences (CRUISE) , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA241128
  • August 1, 2017 - July 31, 2023 - Active surveillance and patient reported outcomes in a diverse population of prostate cancer patients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA211141
  • May 11, 2016 - April 30, 2020 - Lung cancer in never smokers: incidence, risk factors, and molecular characteristics in Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanderfemales , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA204070
  • July 17, 2009 - June 30, 2013 - Impact of contextual factors on disparities in breast cancer risk and survival , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA140058
  • August 1, 2006 - July 31, 2009 - Social and built environment and race/ethnic variations in cancer outcomes , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA117324
  • April 1, 2005 - December 31, 2007 - Culture and Ethnic Variations in Breast Cancer Treatment , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA109201

Education

University of California, Berkeley, CA B.A. 06/94 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI M.P.H. 06/97 Epidemiology
Stanford University, Stanford, CA Ph.D. 12/02 Epidemiology

Honors & Awards

  • 2024
    AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
  • 2022
    ASPO Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., Distinguished Achievement Award
  • 2014
    Mentoring Award, Cancer Prevention Institute of California
  • 2012
    Above and Beyond Excellence Award, Cancer Prevention Institute of California
  • 2010
    Author of the Year, American Journal of Public Health
  • 2007
    Selected participant, NCI Minority Investigators Workshop on Behavioral Methodologies
  • 1998-2002
    Pre-Doctoral Cancer Training Grant, NCI (awarded to Stanford University, Stanford, CA)
  • 2000
    Scholarship, 7th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved & Cancer
  • 1997
    Student Oncology Grant, American Cancer Society, California Division, Oakland, CA
  • 1996-1997
    Departmental Scholarship, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Selected Publications

  1. Iyer HS, Cheng I, Gomez SL, Rebbeck TR. Re: Associations of self-identified race and ethnicity and genetic ancestry with mortality among cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 May 30.  View on PubMed
  2. Sangaramoorthy M, Samayoa C, Inamdar PP, Roh JM, Valice E, Hong CC, Kwan ML, Ambrosone CB, Kushi LH, Gomez SL, Shariff-Marco S. Association between neighborhood stressors and allostatic load in breast cancer survivors: the Pathways Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 May 07; 194(5):1264-1274.  View on PubMed
  3. Aoki RL, Alexeeff SE, Caan BJ, Kushi LH, Gomez SL, Torres JM, Canchola AJ, Morey BN, Kroenke CH. Nativity and Healthy Lifestyle Index in a Pooled Cohort of Female Breast Cancer Survivors from Northern California. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 May 07.  View on PubMed
  4. Iyer HS, Cheng I, Opara C, Lin K, Zeinomar N, Le Marchand L, Wilkens L, Shariff-Marco S, Conti DV, Haiman CA, Gomez SL, Rebbeck TR. African Genetic Ancestry, Structural and Social Determinants of Health, and Mortality in Black Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 01; 8(5):e2510016.  View on PubMed
  5. Park SL, Lichtensztajn D, Yang J, Wu J, Shariff-Marco S, Stram DO, Inamdar P, Fruin S, Larson T, Tseng C, Setiawan VW, Gomez SL, Samet J, Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR, Ritz B, Wu AH, Cheng I. Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2025 May; 22(5):698-706.  View on PubMed
  6. Winestone LE, Yang J, Banerjee T, Sangaramoorthy M, Kahn J, Abrahão R, Keegan TH, Cheng I, Gomez SL, Shariff-Marco S. Impact of neighborhood archetypes on overall mortality among young patients with acute leukemia in California. Cancer. 2025 May 01; 131(9):e35863.  View on PubMed
  7. Karvonen KA, Vu A, Lin K, Gibbons J, Mendoza JA, Chow EJ, Winestone LE, Gomez SL. Historical redlining and mortality in children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer in California, 2000-2019. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 Apr 24.  View on PubMed
  8. Loeb S, Rangel Camacho M, Sanchez Nolasco T, Byrne N, Rivera A, Barlow L, Chan J, Gomez S, Langford AT. Combating online misinformation in clinical encounters. BJU Int. 2025 Apr 15.  View on PubMed
  9. Lawrence WR, Freedman ND, McGee-Avila JK, Hong HG, Gomez SL, Loehrer AP, Beyer KMM, Zhou Y, Magnani JW, Neighbors HW, Johnson JA, Lin Z, Davidoff AJ, Llanos AAM, Shiels MS. Contemporary neighborhood redlining and racial mortgage lending bias and disparities in prostate cancer survival. Cancer. 2025 Apr 15; 131(8):e35850.  View on PubMed
  10. Ransohoff JD, Lewinsohn RM, Dickerson J, Luo I, Satoyoshi M, Ritter V, Chavez R, Wheeler AJ, Liang SY, Kenkare P, Gomez SL, Schapira L, John EM, Han SS, Kurian AW. Endocrine Therapy Interruption, Resumption, and Outcomes Associated With Pregnancy After Breast Cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2025 Apr 01; 11(4):423-426.  View on PubMed
  11. Gimmen MY, Taparra K, Deville C, Gomez SL. Promoting equitable patient representation in therapeutic clinical trials by accounting for population disease burden. Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 27; 15(1):10591.  View on PubMed
  12. Guan A, Wesson P, Glidden DV, Hamad R, Tan JY, Gomez SL. LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) state policy protections and substance use disparities. Health Aff Sch. 2025 Mar; 3(3):qxaf029.  View on PubMed
  13. John EM, Koo J, Ingles SA, Keegan TH, Gomez SL, Haiman CA, Kurian AW, Kwan ML, Neuhausen SL, Shariff-Marco S, Thomsen C, Wu AH, Cheng I. Risk factors for second primary breast cancer by laterality, age, and race and ethnicity. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 Mar 01; 117(3):436-449.  View on PubMed
  14. Veenstra CM, Abrahamse P, Hamilton AS, Ward KC, Gomez SL, Liu L, Katz SJ, Hofer TP, Kurian AW. Breast, Colorectal, and Pancreatic Cancer Mortality With Pathogenic Variants in ATM, CHEK2, or PALB2. J Clin Oncol. 2025 May; 43(13):1587-1596.  View on PubMed
  15. Dee EC, Laversanne M, Bhoo-Pathy N, Ho FDV, Feliciano EJG, Eala MAB, Ting FIL, Ginsburg O, Moraes FY, Gyawali B, Gomez SL, Ng K, Wu JF, Jain U, Jain B, Columbres RC, Matsuda T, Sangrajrang S, Sinuraya ES, Bui TD, Wei W, Won YJ, Foo LL, Ling MCA, Mery L, Soerjomataram I, Bray F. Cancer incidence and mortality estimates in 2022 in southeast Asia: a comparative analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2025 Apr; 26(4):516-528.  View on PubMed
  16. Wang K, Canchola AJ, McKinley M, Guan A, Vu A, Lin K, Meltzer D, Dixit N, Chu JN, Idossa D, Van Blarigan EL, Cheng I, Shariff-Marco S, Gomez SL. Disparities in Cancer Stage Shifts Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic in California, 2020 to 2021. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 Jan 09; 34(1):139-150.  View on PubMed
  17. Sedani AE, Gomez SL, Lawrence WR, Moore JX, Brandt HM, Rogers CR. Social Risks and Nonadherence to Recommended Cancer Screening Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 02; 8(1):e2449556.  View on PubMed
  18. Van Blarigan EL, McKinley MA, Washington SL, Cooperberg MR, Kenfield SA, Cheng I, Gomez SL. Trends in Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jan 02; 8(1):e2456825.  View on PubMed
  19. Gomez SL, DeRouen M, Chen MS, Wakelee H, Velotta JB, Sakoda LC, Shariff-Marco S, Reynolds P, Cheng I. Elevated risk of lung cancer among asian American females who have never smoked: an emerging cancer disparity. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Nov 20.  View on PubMed
  20. Demb J, Gomez SL, Canchola AJ, Qian A, Murphy JD, Winn RA, Banegas MP, Gupta S, Martinez ME. Racial and Ethnic Variation in Survival in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Nov 04; 7(11):e2446820.  View on PubMed

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