Research
Research in NME is currently structured around five teams that work in an integrated and collaborative way:
Hormones and MetabolismTeam Leaders: Sabina Rinaldi and Laure Dossus
The overarching aim of the Hormones and Metabolism Team is to advance research on the role of hormones and metabolism in cancer etiology, building on established molecular epidemiology research on hormone-related cancers, with emphasis on cancers of the breast, endometrium, ovary, and thyroid. This research programme is based on the application of cutting-edge laboratory-based technologies to large-scale epidemiological studies, developed in high-income settings, as well as in studies in countries in epidemiological transition. Currently, key activities include measuring hormones, inflammatory factors, fatty acids, and endogenous metabolites (targeted metabolomics), analysed by a variety of assays (immunoassays, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry [GC-MS], liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry [LC-MS]), and proteomics (multiplexed assays) in samples from large-scale epidemiological studies. Technological development is also a major focus, which is crucial to support evolving research.
Onco-MetabolomicsTeam Leaders: Pekka Keski-Rahkonen and Mazda Jenab
The Onco-Metabolomics Team is internationally recognized in the application of untargeted and targeted metabolomics to large-scale epidemiological and human intervention studies on cancer. The Team develops and implements state-of-the-art LC-MS-based analytical techniques to measure and identify metabolites in various biospecimens for the study of metabolite variations associated with cancers, particularly those of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as cancer-related outcomes such as obesity and metabolic dysfunction. The Team also aims to improve the understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of cancer development by identifying biomarkers of cancer risk factors among dietary, lifestyle, environmental, and metabolic exposures. Key research interests include examining the link between exogenous exposures (diet, lifestyle, environment) and endogenous exposures (gut bacterial composition and functionality, the gut–liver axis, metabolic dysfunction) in cancer development.
Sustainable Lifestyle and CancerTeam Leader: Inge Huybrechts
The overall goal of the Sustainable Lifestyle and Cancer Team is to conduct epidemiological research to investigate the role of nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, and stress in the incidence of cancer and to identify pathways to prevention. A major focus of the Team is the development of innovative methods for exposure assessment, and the conduct of sustainable evidence-based lifestyle interventions to inform tailored lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention. This is achieved through three integrated types of activities: (i) enhancing databases of existing epidemiological studies with innovative lifestyle indicators to investigate cutting-edge research on lifestyle indicators (e.g. food biodiversity, food processing, meal timing, circadian rhythm, and stress); (ii) implementing observational studies with cohort and case–control designs in high-, middle-, and low-income settings, to evaluate populations undergoing lifestyle transitions to elucidate causal relationships between lifestyle behaviours and cancer risk; and (iii) developing sustainable, cost-effective, and wide-reaching lifestyle behaviour change interventions, and evaluating their efficacy for cancer prevention; these intervention strategies make use of teaching opportunities, such as during cancer screening, to reach high-risk population groups during periods when they may be more motivated for lifestyle behaviour changes.
Nutrition, Cancer, and Multimorbidity
Team Leader: Heinz Freisling
The Nutrition, Cancer, and Multimorbidity Team investigates how nutrition, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction interact with cardiometabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, in relation to cancer incidence. The co-occurrence of chronic diseases in individuals, defined as multimorbidity, is becoming increasingly common. Multimorbidity could be due to common risk factors among chronic conditions, such as obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets, but it could also be caused by shared biological pathways. Furthermore, metabolic consequences of cardiometabolic diseases may have incremental impacts on cancer risk. However, these interrelationships still need to be elucidated in population-based settings. The role of lifestyle factors and the occurrence of morbid conditions that affect survival in people living with cancer is also an area of research for the Team.
Biostatistics and Data Integration
Team Leader Vivian Viallon
The Biostatistics and Data Integration Team provides statistical support to research conducted within NME and oversees the management of epidemiological data, including lifestyle, molecular, cancer end-points, and vital status within the EPIC cohort and other population-based studies. Appropriate use of statistical methodology across NME and IARC is also promoted via direct support and via training and methodological seminars. The Team also leads the development, implementation, and application of biostatistical and bioinformatic techniques for the analysis and integration of lifestyle and molecular data, including metabolomics, proteomics, genetics, and epigenetic data within cancer epidemiology studies. Specific ongoing activities include the development of statistical methods for the normalization, pre-processing, and analysis of metabolomics and proteomics data, the discovery of candidate biomarkers of diet and lifestyle using molecular data, and the identification of -omics signatures of lifestyle and their relationship with cancer. The Team also leads a major programme of research on alcohol and cancer with a focus on understudied cancers and on alcohol consumption patterns throughout the life-course.