Susan M. Gapstur, PhD, MPH

Professor

Dr. Susan Gapstur research focuses on identifying the risk factors related to cancer morbidity and mortality, and identifying potential differences across ethnically and racially diverse populations. Dr. Gapstur, PhD, MPH is a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (with highest honors, BS degree in microbiology) and received her MPH degree in 1989 and PhD degree in 1993 from the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, in epidemiology.

In 1994, following post-graduate research training at the University of Arizona, Arizona Cancer Center, Dr. Gapstur joined the Department of Preventive Medicine at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.

Dr. Gapstur is also the Associate Director of Cancer Prevention and Control within the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Research Interests

As an epidemiologist, Dr. Gapstur's goals are to combine traditional epidemiologic methods with biochemical techniques applied in cancer research. She has developed independent and collaborative research studies focusing on three areas: diet and hormones; breast and prostate cancer; and molecular epidemiology of cancer risk.

Dr. Gapstur is currently Principal on the following research projects: Determinants of Steroid Hormones in Black and White Men, Serum Sex Hormone Levels and Subclinical Atherosclerosis, and the Postdoctoral Training Program in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention .

Recent Publications

1. Gapstur SM, Kopp P, Gann PH, Chiu B C-H, Colangelo LA, Liu K. Changes in BMI modulate age-associated changes in sex hormone binding globulin and total testosterone, but not bioavailable testosterone in young adult men: the CARDIA Male Hormone Study. Internaltional J Obesity (in press).

2. Gapstur SM, Kopp P, Chiu B C-H, Gann PH, Colangelo LA, Liu K. Longitudinal associations of age, anthropometric and lifestyle factors with serum total IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in Black and White men: The CARDIA Male Hormone Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004:13(12):2208-2216.

3. Chiu B C-H, Gapstur SM. Changes in diet during adult life and risk of colorectal adenomas. Nutrition Cancer 49(1):49-58;2004.

4. Fitzgibbon ML, Gapstur SM, Knight SJ. Results of Mujeres Felices por ser Saludables: A dietary/breast health intervention program for Latino women. Annals Behav Med 28(2):95-104;2004

5. Gapstur SM, Lopez P, Colangelo LA, Wolfman JA, Van Horn L, Hendrick R.E. Associations of breast cancer risk factors with percent breast density in Hispanic women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:1074-1080;2003.

6. Gann PH, Chatterton RT, Gapstur SM, Liu K, Garside D, Giovanazzi S, Thedford K, Van Horn L. The effects of a low fat high fiber diet on sex hormone levels and menstrual cycling in prememopausal women: a 12-month randomized trial (The Diet and Hormone Study). Cancer 98:1870-1880;2003.

7. Chiu BC, Soni L, Gapstur SM, Fought AJ, Evens AM, Weisenburger DD. Obesity and risk of non-
   Hodgkin lymphoma (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Aug; 18(6):677-85.
   
   
8. Chiu BC, Soni L, Gapstur SM, Fought AJ, Evens AM, Weisenburger DD. Obesity and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Aug 18(6):677-85. Epub 2007 May 7.
   
   
9. Soni LK, Hou L, Gapstur SM, Evens AM, Weisenburger DD, Chiu BC. Sun exposure and non-Hodgkins lymphoma: A population-based, case-control study. Eur J Cancer 2007 Aug 6.
   
   
10. Wolin KY, Colangelo LA, Chiu BC, Ainsworth B, Chatterton R, Gapstur SM. Associations of physical activity, sedentary time, and insulin with percent breast density in Hispanic women. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2007 Sep;16(7):1004-11.
    
    
11. Soni LK, Hou L, Gapstur SM, Events AM, Weisenburger DD, Chiu BC. Sun exposure and non-hodgkin lymphoma: A populationbased, case-control study. Eur J. Cancer. 2007 Nov;43(16):2388-95.
12. Jacobs ET, Martinez ME, Alberts DS, Ashbeck EL, Gapstur SM, Lance P, Thompson PA. Plasma insulin-like growth factor I is inversely associated with colorectal adenoma recurrence: a novel hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Feb;17(2):300-5. Epub 2008 Feb 4.
13. Michos ED, Vaidya D, Gapstur SM, Schreiner PJ, Golden SH, Wong ND, Criqui MH, Ouyang P. Sex hormones, sex hormone binding globulin, and abdominal aortic calcification in women and men in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA). Atherosclerosis. 2008 Feb 7: [Epub ahead of print]
14. Gawron AJ, Gapstur SM, Fought AJ, Talamonti MS, Skinner HG. Socio-demographic and tumor characteristics associated with pancreatic cancer surgery in the United States. J Surg Oncol. 2008 Jun 1; 97(7):578-82.
15. Gawron AJ, Gapstur SM, Fought AJ, Talamonti MS, Skinner HG. Sociodemographic and tumor characteristics associated with pancreatic cancer surgery in the United States. J Surg Oncol. 2008 Jun 1;97J(7):578-82.

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