I am broadly interested in the impact of lifestyle, nutrition, and genetic factors on women’s health. Specifically, I have focused on ovarian and breast cancer, as well as on hormonally related conditions that have shared reproductive risk factors with these diseases, including endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Much of my research to date has focused on understanding the role of the potentially modifiable risk factors of diet and lifestyle on the risk of these conditions. A more recent facet of my research is to explore the interrelatedness of these conditions and their shared risk factors. As ovarian cancer is rare, I am particularly interested in identifying women, such as those with endometriosis, who may be at higher risk because these women may benefit from screening modalities for ovarian cancer which are currently not appropriate for population-based use. Identification of women at high risk for ovarian cancer and breast cancer is also important as it allows for targeted prevention strategies and can guide clinical decisions regarding frequency of screening and chemoprevention strategies for both of these cancers. Finally, understanding the influence of genetic factors, both alone or as a part of gene-environment interactions may facilitate prevention and help identify women most at risk for ovarian and breast cancer.
