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. 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
  2. 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
  3. Kroenke CH, Kwan ML, Gomez SL, Shim V, Ergas IJ, Roh J, Kushi LH. Social Support and Treatment Delays in Breast Cancer Patients Within an Integrated Health Care System. Psychooncology. 2024 Nov; 33(11):e70025.  View on PubMed
  4. 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
  5. Truong A, McKinley M, Gomez SL, Kim MO, Shariff-Marco S, Cheng I. The role of ethnic enclaves and neighborhood socioeconomic status in invasive breast cancer incidence rates among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander females in California. Cancer Causes Control. 2025 Feb; 36(2):183-189.  View on PubMed
  6. 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
  7. Nicholl M, Pasham DR, Mummery A, Guolo M, Gendreau K, Dewangan GC, Ferrara EC, Remillard R, Bonnerot C, Chakraborty J, Hajela A, Dhillon VS, Gillan AF, Greenwood J, Huber ME, Janiuk A, Salvesen G, van Velzen S, Aamer A, Alexander KD, Angus CR, Arzoumanian Z, Auchettl K, Berger E, de Boer T, Cendes Y, Chambers KC, Chen TW, Chornock R, Fulton MD, Gao H, Gillanders JH, Gomez S, Gompertz BP, Fabian AC, Herman J, Ingram A, Kara E, Laskar T, Lawrence A, Lin CC, Lowe TB, Magnier EA, Margutti R, McGee SL, Minguez P, Moore T, Nathan E, Oates SR, Patra KC, Ramsden P, Ravi V, Ridley EJ, Sheng X, Smartt SJ, Smith KW, Srivastav S, Stein R, Stevance HF, Turner SGD, Wainscoat RJ, Weston J, Wevers T, Young DR. Quasi-periodic X-ray eruptions years after a nearby tidal disruption event. Nature. 2024 Oct; 634(8035):804-808.  View on PubMed
  8. Guan A, Shariff-Marco S, Henry KA, Lin K, Meltzer D, Canchola AJ, Arizpe A, Rathod AB, Hughes AE, Kroenke CH, Gomez SL, Hiatt RA, Stroup AM, Pinheiro PS, Boscoe F, Zhu H, Pruitt SL. Latino Enclaves and Healthcare Accessibility: An Ecologic Study Across Five States. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Mar; 40(4):739-748.  View on PubMed
  9. Chen ML, Gomez SL, O'Hara R, John EM, Morris AM, Kurian AW, Linos E. Surgery and Suicide Deaths Among Patients With Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Sep 03; 7(9):e2431414.  View on PubMed
  10. Chu JN, Tsoh JY, Shariff-Marco S, Allen L, Oh D, Kuo MC, Wong C, Bui H, Chen J, Truong A, Wang K, Hwang A, Li FM, Ma C, Gomez SL, Nguyen TT. Patient COUNTS: A pilot navigation program for Asian American cancer patients. Asian Am J Psychol. 2024 Sep; 15(3):205-212.  View on PubMed
  11. Ho FDV, Thaploo A, Wang K, Narayan A, Alberto IRI, Ong EP, Kohli K, Kohli M, Jain B, Dee EC, Gomez SL, Janopaul-Naylor J, Chino F. Cervical cancer disparities in stage at presentation for disaggregated Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Aug 22.  View on PubMed
  12. Mukand NH, Chirikova E, Lichtensztajn D, Negoita S, Aboushwareb T, Bennett J, Brooks JD, Leppert JT, Chung BI, Li C, Schwartz SM, Gershman ST, Insaf T, Morawski BM, Stroup A, Wu XC, Doherty JA, Petkov VI, Zambon JP, Gomez SL, Cheng I. Assessing sociodemographic and regional disparities in Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score uptake. Cancer. 2024 Aug 19.  View on PubMed
  13. Oh DL, Wang K, Goldberg D, Schumacher K, Yang J, Lin K, Gomez SL, Shariff-Marco S. Disparities in Cancer Stage of Diagnosis by Rurality in California, 2015 to 2019. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2024 Nov 01; 33(11):1523-1531.  View on PubMed
  14. Tan JY, Guan A, Albers AE, Canchola AJ, Allen L, Shariff-Marco S, Gomez SL. Acculturating to multiculturalism: a new dimension of dietary acculturation among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA. BMC Public Health. 2024 08 06; 24(1):2128.  View on PubMed
  15. Morey BN, Garcia S, Lin K, Canchola AJ, Alexeeff SE, Kurtovich EM, Uong S, Aoki RF, Guan A, Torres JM, Shariff-Marco S, Yao S, Kushi LH, Gomez SL, Kroenke CH. A validation study for measuring Asian- and Hispanic-serving sociocultural institutions in neighborhoods using business listing data and potential implications for health. Soc Sci Med. 2024 Sep; 356:117143.  View on PubMed
  16. 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. 2024 Jun 18.  View on PubMed
  17. Yang MZ, Liu R, Von Behren J, Lin K, Adams AS, Kushi LH, Quesenberry CP, Velotta JB, Wong ML, Young-Wolff KC, Gomez SL, Shariff-Marco S, Sakoda LC. Representativeness of Patients With Lung Cancer in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System. Perm J. 2024 09 16; 28(3):13-22.  View on PubMed
  18. Taparra K, Benavente R, Shih JJ, Gimmen MY, Tominez P, Kekumano KE, Pineda E, Halualani G, Cakobau H, Ludmir EB, Deville C, Peppercorn J, Gomez SL, Bosserman L, Chino F, Patel MI, Shah C. Race and Ethnicity Representation in Phase 2/3 Oncology Clinical Trial Publications: A Systematic Review. JAMA Health Forum. 2024 Jun 07; 5(6):e241388.  View on PubMed
  19. Iyer HS, Stone BV, Roscoe C, Hsieh MC, Stroup AM, Wiggins CL, Schumacher FR, Gomez SL, Rebbeck TR, Trinh QD. Access to Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing and Mortality Among Men With Prostate Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jun 03; 7(6):e2414582.  View on PubMed
  20. Guan A, Talingdan AS, Tanjasiri SP, Kanaya AM, Gomez SL. Lessons Learned from Immigrant Health Cohorts: A Review of the Evidence and Implications for Policy and Practice in Addressing Health Inequities among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Annu Rev Public Health. 2024 May; 45(1):401-424.  View on PubMed

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