Research is an important component of the Division of General Internal Medicine. The links here give information about work that is being done on various projects and studies. Also, there is a complete list of several years' worth of DGIM publications.
New Research Grants in DGIM
Project Title: "Genome wide association study of breast cancer subtype and survival in Latinas"
Period: 09/23/2011 - 08/31/2016
Agency: Nation Institute of Health / National Cancer Institute
Type: K01 -NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity
Project Summary
Latina women in the US have lower incidence of breast cancer than African American and non-Latina white women, but their survival rate is lower than non-Latina whites. The degree to which these differences are due to genetic vs. non-genetic factors (environmental, reproductive or other) remains
unclear. The main goal of this proposal is to identify common genetic risk variants in Latinas that affect breast cancer subtype-specific risk and progression and address the generalizability of these risk factors across different Latino ethnic groups and environments.
In particular, we will use existing data from a genome wide association analysis (GWAS) in a sample of 2,900 US Latinas (1,600 cases and 1,300 controls) to address the following specific aims: (1) identify common genetic risk variants for breast cancer subtypes, and (2) identify common genetic risk variants for
breast cancer progression and breast cancer specific survival. We will also (3) evaluate the effect of confirmed or suggestive risk variants identified in Aim 1 and through other published GWAS studies in a sample of breast cancer cases from Argentina, and (4) evaluate if the effect of confirmed or suggestive variants that affect progression and survival identified in Aim 2 and through other published studies have an effect on disease progression in the sample from Argentina.
For the first two aims, genome wide genotype, tumor characteristic and survival information is available for samples from the San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study, the Breast Cancer Family Registry and the Multiethnic Cohort Study. For aims 3 and 4 we will genotype 192 SNPs (previously confirmed or
suggestive variants) in 600 Argentine cases from the US-Latin America Cancer Research Network study. This project will be the first GWAS study in Latinas by hormone receptor status and by progression and survival.
Project Title: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Urogenital Aging in Older Women
Principal Investigator: Dr. Alison Huang
Project Period: 9/1/2011 - 8/31/14
Funding Agency - Co-funded by National Institute on Aging and American Federation for Aging Research
Type of Grant: Paul B. Beeson Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award in Aging (K23)
Project Summary
Between one quarter and one half of older women develop symptoms and complications of urogenital aging
that interfere with their day-to-day activities, functioning, and quality of life. Previous research on urogenital
aging in women has focused almost exclusively on the role of postmenopausal estrogen depletion in the
development of tissue-specific markers of urogenital atrophy. Nevertheless, variations in serum estrogen
levels or tissue markers of estrogen deficiency do not adequately explain differences in the severity of
women's urogenital symptoms, their impact on quality of life, or their responsiveness to treatment. There is a
need for a more multidimensional model of urogenital aging that takes into account how postmenopausal
changes in estrogen interact with other aging-related factors such as changes in comorbid health conditions,
physical and mental functional status, and frailty and disability to shape the consequences of urogenital aging
in older women.
For this award, the candidate has added multiple ancillary measures of urogenital functioning to an
observational cohort of ~2,000 ethnically-diverse, middle-aged and older women, and has developed
procedures to assess comorbidity level, physical and mental functional decline, and frailty and functional
mobility. Using data from these measures, she will determine how older age, greater comorbidity, functional
decline, and frailty influence the severity, quality-of-life impact, and utilization of treatments for urogenital aging
symptoms in women across the age spectrum. The goal of this research is to shift evaluation and
management of urogenital aging away from a narrow focus on estrogen repletion to a broader perspective that
incorporates identification and treatment of geriatric conditions into prevention and treatment strategies for
urogenital aging symptoms.
With the support of her mentors in both aging and women's health, the candidate will also pursue advanced
training in geriatric medicine and geriatrics-based research, prospective data collection study design and
management techniques, and development and validation of self-report measures for use in diverse
populations of older adults. Combined with the resources of the Beeson program, these research and training
activities will allow the candidate to develop into an independent clinical investigator with an active,
multidisciplinary research program focused on urogenital aging in women, as well as become a leader of
research at the interface of aging and women's health.
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