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

  • September 2, 2024 - August 31, 2029 - UCSF Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Prostate Cancer , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P50CA275741
  • July 8, 2024 - June 30, 2029 - A national Asian American cohort for assessing multi-level determinants in cancer etiology: the ASPIRE Cohort , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01CA290831
  • February 7, 2023 - January 31, 2028 - Addressing Misinformation to Promote Equity in Prostate Cancer Care , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA278997
  • 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
  • December 10, 2020 - November 30, 2025 - Optimization of a remote intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity in colorectal cancer survivors , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R37CA248774
  • August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2022 - Impact of Web-Based Lifestyle Interventions on Prostate Cancer Prognosis , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA207749
  • 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

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. Asiimwe E, Tolstykh I, Chan JM, Kenfield SA, Wilkens LR, Park SY, Le Marchand L, Huang BZ, Haiman CA, Cheng I, Van Blarigan EL Adherence to World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Guidelines and Mortality among Participants with Colorectal Cancer in the MEC.  View on PubMed
  2. Lin PH, Burwell AD, Giovannucci EL, Loeb S, Chan JM, Tuttle B, Nunzio C, Bjartell A, Aronson W, Freedland SJ Dietary Patterns in Prostate Cancer Prevention and Management: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies and Randomized Clinical Trials.  View on PubMed
  3. Shee K, Cedars BE, Wang L, Kenfield SA, Cowan JE, Tolstykh I, Langlais CS, Pace WA, Broering JM, Carroll PR, Chan JM, Van Blarigan EL Multivitamin Use After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Is Associated with Lower Risk of Recurrence: A Prospective Cohort Study from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE).  View on PubMed
  4. Wang A, Van Blarigan EL, Cheng I, Chan JM, Wan P, Park SY, Xiong W, Hamilton AS, Chen F, Le Marchand L, Wilkens LR, Conti DV, Kenfield SA, Haiman CA. Race and Ethnicity, Lifestyle, Diet, and Survival in Patients With Prostate Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Feb 03; 8(2):e2460785.  View on PubMed
  5. Belfi LM, Starikov A, Lo G, Leppert BC, Merianos DJ, Penziner K, Verzani Z, Chan JM Collaborative approach to the integration of radiology teaching into clinical clerkships.  View on PubMed
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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 05 01; 7(5):e249053.  View on PubMed
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Chan JM, Gotian R Going with the flow: how flow theory can enhance clinical teaching in anaesthesia.  View on PubMed
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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

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