Annual Report 2019 | Page 8

ALEXANDRA M . BINDER

Welcome new assistant researcher Population Sciences in the Pacific Program , Cancer Epidemiology
OUR GENES SHAPE OUR HEALTH
WE MAY NOT GET TO CHOOSE THE GENES WE INHERIT , BUT BY
MODIFYING OUR EXPOSURES
AND BEHAVIORS , WE MAY BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE THE REGULATION OF OUR GENES
TO ALTER OUR RISK OF CERTAIN CANCERS
- ALEXANDRA M . BINDER
Alexandra M . Binder , ScD , investigates the relationships between epigenetic patterns and cancer risk . Epigenetic patterns control which genes are active in cells , and can be altered by the environment , nutrition and behaviors . Modifications to epigenetic patterns can have lasting impacts on gene regulation , shaping long-term health .
Part of Binder ’ s research explores how epigenetic modifications may mediate associations between early life conditions and adult cancer risks . She is involved in several National Institutes of Health-funded projects investigating the relationships between epigenetic variation and pubertal predictors of breast cancer risk .
Binder is also a recipient of a National Cancer Institute Career Development Award , which has extended her work to examine epigenetic estimates of biological aging . These “ epigenetic clocks ” capture the influence of an individual ’ s exposures and behaviors on cellular function , and have been consistently associated with mortality rates . Her aims for this project focus on the relationship between reproductive and epigenetic aging , as well as their potential shared impact on breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women .
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