Research Programs

Cancer Control


 

Leadership

Samir Gupta, MD

Samir Gupta, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Moores Cancer Center
Phone: 858-822-4499
Email: s1gupta@health.ucsd.edu
Research summary

 
John Elder, MD/MPH

John Elder, PhD/MPH

Distinguished Professor of Public Health
San Diego State University
Phone: 619-594-2997
Email: jelder@mail.sdsu.edu
Research summary

 

About the Program

Overview


The Cancer Control Program (CCP) is focused on improving the current knowledge base for promoting overall reductions in cancer incidence, mortality and morbidity as outlined in Healthy People 2020. Studies include: 1) promoting the decline in tobacco consumption in the United States; 2) improving lifestyle patterns (such as physical activity and nutrition) observed to be protective against cancer; 3) studying the efficacy of cancer prevention efforts; and 4) improving measures of environmental exposure used in cancer prevention and control studies.

CCP is highly transdisciplinary and has 36 members across a wide range of 9 academic and schools at UCSD and SDSU. CCP members conduct multi-level research on issues along the cancer continuum, with a focus on preventing tobacco- and obesity-related related cancers, improving screening and detection methods and uptake, and enhancing the quality and length of survival of persons diagnosed with cancer. CCP addresses catchment area issues via its emphasis on research in Hispanics and low-income populations. Researchers use community-based participatory research approaches to address catchment area disparities in health behaviors, including obesity and diabetes.

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Program Goals

The goal of CCP is to understand and reduce the risk of cancer, cancer recurrence, and cancer mortality; with cross cutting themes of disparities and technology. The aims of the program reflect the expertise of its members across the continuum of cancer control from prevention behaviors and policies, promoting screening uptake, connected care, and survivorship.

The Cancer Control Program has four specific aims, to:

  1. Prevent tobacco-related cancers by reducing the prevalence of tobacco product use.
  2. Prevent obesity-related cancers through lifestyle and community intervention approaches.
  3. Interrupt the development of cancer through screening, early detection, and testing interventions in premalignant neoplasia.
  4. Enhance the quality and length of survival of persons diagnosed with cancer through treatment and intervention.

Meetings & Events

The following list includes events and seminars of notable interest to the Cancer Control Program and its members. Please look for a list of Upcoming Events on the right edge of this page; this list is updated automatically and events may be added to your Outlook or Google calendars.

CCP Program Events

Seminars, lectures, and other programmatic meetings led by the CCP Program. Expand the panels for schedules, locations, webinar links, and more information.

Multi-program Events

Recurring programs and activities of interest to the CCP Program community:

Annual Events

Annual conferences, symposia, and retreats of interest to the CCP Program community:



 

Collaborations

Please contact us if you are interested in developing a collaboration or in joining the Cancer Control (CCP) Research Program. To see recent cross-program collaboration highlights with the CCP group, please click here.

For a full list of all program membership affiliations, please click here.


Upcoming Events






CCP Scientific Highlights

Recent Scientific Highlights from Cancer Control Research Program members. Please contact us if you have a highlight to share.

Outreach and Inreach Strategies for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Latinos at a Federally Qualified Health Center: A Randomized Controlled Trial, 2015–2018

Sheila F. Castañeda PhD, Balambal Bharti PhD, Marielena Rojas BA, Silvia Mercado BA, Adriana M. Bearse MS, Jasmine Camacho BS, Manuel Song Lopez BA, Fatima Muñoz MD, MPH, Shawne O'Connell MSW, Lin Liu PhD, Gregory A. Talavera MD, MPH, and Samir Gupta MD, MSCSCCP

American Journal of Public Health 110, 587_594
Read the paper

Effect of a Behavioral Intervention to Increase Vegetable Consumption on Cancer Progression Among Men With Early-Stage Prostate CancerThe MEAL Randomized Clinical Trial

J. Kellogg ParsonsCCP, MD, MHS; David Zahrieh, PhD; James L. Mohler, MD; Electra Paskett, PhD; Donna E. Hansel, MD, PhD; Adam S. Kibel, MD; Heshan Liu, MS; Drew K. Seisler, MS; Loki NatarajanHEM,  PhD; Martha White, MS;  Olwen  Hahn, MD;  John  Taylor,  MA;  Sheri J. HartmanCCP,  PhD;  Sean P. Stroup, MD;  Peter Van Veldhuizen, MD;  Lannis Hall, MD, PhD;  Eric J. Small, MD;  Michael J. Morris, MD;  John P. Pierce, PhDCCP;  James Marshall, PhD

JAMA. 2020;323(2):140-148. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.20207
Read the paper

Association Between Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Progression to Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults in the PATH Study

John P Pierce CCP, James D Sargent, David B Portnoy, Martha White, Madison Noble, Sheila Kealey, Nicolette Borek, Charles Carusi, Kelvin Choi, Victoria R Green, Annette R Kaufman, Eric Leas, M Jane Lewis, Katherine A Margolis, Karen MesserSFG, Yuyan Shi, Marushka L Silveira, Kimberly Snyder, Cassandra A Stanton, Susanne E Tanski, Maansi Bansal-Travers, Dennis TrinidadCCP, Andrew Hyland 

JAMA Pediatr . 2018 May 1;172(5):444-451. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5756.
Read the paper


Research Programs at Moores Cancer Center

Our scientific achievements are made possible through collaborations with colleagues across all other research programs at Moores Cancer Center. To learn more about these programs follow the links below:

CCP Leadership & Research Summary

Samir Gupta, MD

Dr. Gupta is Professor of Pathology and Biological Sciences, and conducts research on the molecular pathology of human cancer, especially leukemia, and interferon signal transduction. Her work has had a significant impact on the field, including, i) identifying the role of the synergistic effect of transcription factors RUNX1 and C/EBPa on the regulation of myeloid gene expression and lineage differentiation; ii) the establishment of cell and mouse models to study human t(8;21) fusion proteins in leukemia development; iii) discovery of the function of a novel gene Ubp43/Usp18 in protein modification by a ubiquitin-like modifier ISG15, and its role in interferon signal transduction; iv) identification of how protein ISGylation suppresses cancer growth. She was a member of Board of Scientific Counselors in Basic Sciences of NCI until November of 2017. Her research is funded by multiple NIH grants. Furthermore, she serves on the editorial boards of several journals (e.g., Blood) as well as on NIH, LLS, and ASH study sections.

Academic Profile

John Elder, MD/MPH

Dr. Elder is Professor of Pharmacology, and studies signal transduction pathways, particularly protein phosphorylation involved in cell growth regulation and tumorigenesis. He and his team made the first connection between the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)1/2 tumor suppressors and the central cell growth controller mTOR. His work revealed the mechanism of mTOR regulation by upstream signaling, mTOR signaling network and its role in cell growth regulation and tumorigenesis. These discoveries directly led to the clinical trials and FDA approval of rapamycin to treat TSC and cancer. Dr. Guan's current research focus is the role of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in tumorigenesis. His papers have received more citations in the Hippo field than any other investigator in the world. Recently, his research focuses on the Hippo pathway in cancer immunity, with a paradigm-shifting discovery that LATS kinase modulates tumor immunogenicity (Moroishi et al., Cell 2016). Guan received an NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (R35), has 2 R01s and is co-PI on another NIH R01. He has participated in multiple study sections (both NIH and DOD) and editorial boards (e.g., Molecular Cell, Genes and Development, EMBO Reports), and organized various scientific meetings.

Academic Profile