Dr. Alice Whittemore

Biography

Alice S Whittemore is a Professor Emerita in Epidemiology at Stanford University. Her research primarily focuses on the epidemiology of various cancers, particularly prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers. Dr. Whittemore conducts population-based epidemiologic field studies to understand the etiologies of these cancers, emphasizing the joint effects of genetic predisposition and modifiable lifestyle factors on cancer risk. She is currently analyzing data from a large case-control study of prostate cancer among black, white, and Asian-American men to elucidate the roles of diet, body size, physical activity, and family history in prostate cancer risk. Her work has led to the establishment of population-based registries for families with multiple cases of prostate cancer, as well as families with breast and/or ovarian cancer. These registries facilitate linkage analysis aimed at identifying cancer-susceptibility genes and studying gene-environment interactions. Her recent research endeavors include developing improved statistical methods for designing and conducting studies that explore the hereditary predisposition to and lifestyle characteristics contributing to the etiologies of site-specific cancers.

Research Interests

Courses