Research Summary

Dr. Kober's training is in systems biology, molecular evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics. His  program of research uses rich demographic, clinical and molecular data to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying common symptoms (e.g., fatigue) or neurotoxic side effects (e.g., peripheral neuropathy) experienced by patients with cancer. His work develops and improves prediction models to assist clinicians to identify high risk patients and provide recommendations for activity modifying interventions. Finally, he develops new methods, tools, and resources for new research space and strives to make them freely available to the research community. Dr. Kober has a well established track-record of successful collaborations and mentorships with transdisciplinary research teams. He believes this transdisciplinary approach is needed to develop future symptom scientists who work with genomics and big data.

Research Funding

  • July 3, 2019 - June 30, 2026 - An Investigation of the Molecular Mechanisms for and Prediction of the Severity of Cancer Chemotherapy-Related Fatigue Using a Multi-staged Integrated Omics Approach , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R37CA233774
  • July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2025 - An Evaluation of Cloud Computing for Symptom Science Research: Moving Genomics and Machine Learning Analyses of Cancer Chemotherapy-Related Fatigue to the Cloud (Cloud Supplement) , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R37CA233774-05S1

Education

University of California, Los Angeles, BS Biochemistry, 06/1996
University of California, Santa Cruz, MA Molecular Evolutionary Biology, 06/2009
University of California, Santa Cruz, PhD Molecular Evolutionary Biology, 06/2012
University of California, Irvine, Center for Complex Biological Systems, Systems Biology: Foundations for Interdisciplinary Careers Short Course, 01/2019

Honors & Awards

  • 2006
    Regents' Fellowship, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
  • 2007
    STEPS Institute Graduate Research Grant Award, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
  • 2007
    Student Research and Education Award Friends of Long Marine Lab, Santa Cruz, CA
  • 2011
    Graduate Student Support Award, CSHL Meeting on The Biology of Genomes
  • 2011
    Research Award, Dr. Earl H. Myers and Ethel M. Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust
  • 2013
    Annual Meeting Best Poster Nominee, American Pain Society
  • 2014
    New Investigator Abstract Award (Fatigue Study Group) Annual Meeting, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
  • 2016
    Junior Investigator Abstract Award (Fatigue Study Group) Annual Meeting, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
  • 2020
    Cancer Nursing 2020 Research Award, Cancer Nursing - Official Journal of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care

Selected Publications

  1. Le C, Lewis M, Harris CS, Berger L, Chavez-Iglesias E, Morse L, Sucher A, Roy R, Olshen A, Hammer MJ, Paul S, Wallhagen M, Chan R, Sayer M, Yom S, Cho NW, Chan A, Levine J, Dhruva A, Miaskowski C, Conley YP, Kober KM A Data-Driven Epigenetic Characterization of Morning Fatigue Severity in Oncology Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Associations With Epigenetic Age Acceleration, Blood Cell Types, and Expression-Associated Methylation.  View on PubMed
  2. Chan RJ, Walker A, Vardy J, Chan A, Oppegaard K, Conley YP, Paul SM, Kober KM, Harris C, Shin J, Morse L, Roy R, Olshen A, Hammer MJ, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Perturbations in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and renin angiotensin system pathways are associated with cancer-related cognitive impairment. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Mar 06; 33(4):254.  View on PubMed
  3. Flentje A, Sunder G, Carrico AW, Asam K, Neilands TB, Lisha NE, Dilley J, Flowers E, Kober K, Aouizerat B. Differential gene expression in response to AWARENESS: A randomized controlled trial of an intersectional minority stress intervention. Health Psychol. 2025 Mar; 44(3):291-296.  View on PubMed
  4. Oppegaard KR, Conley YP, Paul S, Cooper B, Harris CS, Shin J, Morse L, Levine JD, Cartwright F, Roy R, Melisko M, Kober KM, Hammer MJ, Miaskowski C. Self-reported cancer-related cognitive impairment is associated with perturbed neurotransmission pathways. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2025 Feb; 132(2):275-286.  View on PubMed
  5. Sayer M, Ng DQ, Chan R, Kober K, Chan A. Current evidence supporting associations of DNA methylation measurements with survivorship burdens in cancer survivors: A scoping review. Cancer Med. 2024 Jul; 13(13):e7470.  View on PubMed
  6. Shin J, Hammer MJ, Cooley ME, Cooper BA, Paul SM, Conley YP, Kober KM, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Lower Income, Smoking, Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities, and Higher Symptom Burden Influence the Occurrence of Cough in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2024 Jun 14; 51(4):E4-E24.  View on PubMed
  7. Asakitogum DA, Nutor JJ, Pozzar R, Hammer M, Alismail S, Kober KM, Miaskowski C. Multidimensional Model of Energy in Patients With Cancer. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024 Jun; 40(3):151644.  View on PubMed
  8. Oppegaard KR, Mayo SJ, Armstrong TS, Dokiparthi V, Melisko M, Levine JD, Olshen AB, Anguera JA, Roy R, Paul S, Cooper B, Conley YP, Hammer MJ, Miaskowski C, Kober KM. Neurodegenerative disease pathways are perturbed in patients with cancer who self-report cognitive changes and anxiety: A pathway impact analysis. Cancer. 2024 Aug 15; 130(16):2834-2847.  View on PubMed
  9. Shin J, Miaskowski C, Wong ML, Yates P, Olshen AB, Roy R, Dokiparthi V, Cooper B, Paul S, Conley YP, Levine JD, Hammer MJ, Kober K. Perturbations in inflammatory pathways are associated with shortness of breath profiles in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Mar 26; 32(4):250.  View on PubMed
  10. Wright F, Cooper BA, Hammer MJ, Paul SM, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C, Kober KM. Stress Exposures Contribute to Worse Joint Morning and Evening Fatigue Profiles in Patients With Cancer During Chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2024 02 19; 51(2):89-106.  View on PubMed
  11. Morse L, Cooper BA, Ritchie CS, Wong ML, Kober KM, Harris C, Shin J, Oppegaard K, Hammer MJ, Schimmel AC, Paul SM, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Stability and consistency of symptom clusters in younger versus older patients receiving chemotherapy. BMC Geriatr. 2024 02 16; 24(1):164.  View on PubMed
  12. Kober KM, Berger L, Roy R, Olshen A. Torch-eCpG: a fast and scalable eQTM mapper for thousands of molecular phenotypes with graphical processing units. BMC Bioinformatics. 2024 Feb 14; 25(1):71.  View on PubMed
  13. Shin J, Hammer M, Cooley ME, Cooper BA, Paul SM, Cartwright F, Kober KM, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Common and distinct risk factors that influence more severe and distressing shortness of breath profiles in oncology outpatients. Cancer Med. 2024 Feb; 13(3):e7013.  View on PubMed
  14. Harris CS, Kober K, Cooper B, Conley YP, Hammer MJ, Dhruva AA, Cartwright F, Paul S, Levine J, Miaskowski C. Symptom clusters in oncology outpatients: stability and consistency across a cycle of chemotherapy. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2024 Jan 08; 13(e3):e1198-e1211.  View on PubMed
  15. Bogen O, Araldi D, Sucher A, Kober K, Ohara PT, Levine JD. Isolectin B4 (IB4)-conjugated streptavidin for the selective knockdown of proteins in IB4-positive (+) nociceptors. bioRxiv. 2024 Jan 02.  View on PubMed
  16. Bogen O, Araldi D, Sucher A, Kober K, Ohara PT, Levine JD. Isolectin B4 (IB4)-conjugated streptavidin for the selective knockdown of proteins in IB4-positive (+) nociceptors. Mol Pain. 2024 Jan-Dec; 20:17448069241230419.  View on PubMed
  17. Lin Y, Bailey DE, Docherty SL, Porter LS, Cooper B, Paul S, Kober K, Hammer MJ, Wright F, Conley Y, Levine J, Miaskowski C. Distinct morning and evening fatigue profiles in gastrointestinal cancer during chemotherapy. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2023 Dec 07; 13(e2):e373-e381.  View on PubMed
  18. Oppegaard K, Kober KM, Harris C, Shin J, Morse L, Calvo-Schimmel A, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Conley YP, Hammer M, Dokiparthi V, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Anxiety in oncology outpatients is associated with perturbations in pathways identified in anxiety focused network pharmacology research. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Nov 28; 31(12):727.  View on PubMed
  19. Oppegaard KR, Mayo SJ, Armstrong TS, Kober KM, Anguera J, Hammer MJ, Levine JD, Conley YP, Paul S, Cooper B, Miaskowski C. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Higher Levels of Stress Are Associated With the Co-occurrence of Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment and Anxiety. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 12; 39(6):151513.  View on PubMed
  20. Asam K, Lewis KA, Kober K, Gong X, Kanaya AM, Aouizerat BE, Flowers E. Multi-Tiered Assessment of Gene Expression Provides Evidence for Mechanisms That Underlie Risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2023; 16:3445-3457.  View on PubMed

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