Secondary Faculty

Immaculata De Vivo

Professor in the Department of Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Other Positions

Professor of Medicine

Medicine-Brigham and Women's Hospital

Harvard Medical School


Overview

My research focus is to understand mechanisms of carcinogenesis and to establish association with disease for future prevention. My research base is the Nurses’ Health Study, where 33,000 germline DNA samples are available for determining inherited genetic susceptibility to cancer and other chronic diseases. I have introduced modern high-throughput genotyping methods in order to build the capacity to handle larger numbers of samples per day, implemented standard molecular biological techniques, such as cloning, RT-PCR, Western blotting, and assays to assess transcriptional effects and more recently whole genome amplification technique that will provide sufficiently robust amplification of limiting samples of genomic DNA that can be used for a variety of applications and statistically inferring population haplotypes. Some of my current projects include studying polymorphisms in hormone-metabolizing genes in endometrial and breast cancer. Findings from these studies have led to domestic collaborations with human geneticists Dr. David Housman at MIT, Dr. Cynthia Morton at BWH, clinicians, Dr. Daniel Cramer at BWH, George Mutter at HMS; and two international collaborations, Dr. Hans Olov-Adami at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Dr. Georgia Chenevix-Trench at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia.

Following my findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2002, that a variation in the promoter region of the human progesterone receptor (hPR) gene increases the risk of endometrial cancer, subsequent studies in my laboratory have found this same association with other types of hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer. These risks are often modified by environmental factors such as obesity.

I am the primary instructor for Epi249a, “Molecular Biology for Epidemiologists,” a graduate-level course (approx. 30 students) that teaches the fundamental concepts of molecular biology. I assist in the direction of the Molecular Epidemiology laboratory at the Harvard School of Public Health (I supervise a laboratory manager and 3 research assistants) and direct my molecular biology laboratory housed in the ERBC at 221 Longwood Ave (research assistant, doctoral student and a masters student). I mentor 12 students (masters, doctoral and postdoctoral) and fellows on their research projects at Channing Laboratory and at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Recognized as one of the top nine U.S. female scientists in cancer research2006-2007
Pink Magazine

Award for Excellence in Teaching2006-2007
Harvard School of Public Health

American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award2002-2008
American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society Faculty Award2000-2002
American Cancer Society

Stanford Immunology Department Fellowship Competititve Award 1995-1997
Stanford University

Award for Academic Excellence1994
Columbia University

Scholarship Award for Excellence in Academic Work1993
Columbia University School of Public Health

National Cancer Institute Research Fellowship1991-1993
Columbia University


Bibliography

Correction: Distinct germline genetic susceptibility profiles identified for common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes.

Berndt SI, Vijai J, Benavente Y, Camp NJ, Nieters A, Wang Z, Smedby KE, Kleinstern G, Hjalgrim H, Besson C, Skibola CF, Morton LM, Brooks-Wilson AR, Teras LR, Breeze C, Arias J, Adami HO, Albanes D, Anderson KC, Ansell SM, Bassig B, Becker N, Bhatti P, Birmann BM, Boffetta P, Bracci PM, Brennan P, Brown EE, Burdett L, Cannon-Albright LA, Chang ET, Chiu BCH, Chung CC, Clavel J, Cocco P, Colditz G, Conde L, Conti DV, Cox DG, Curtin K, Casabonne D, De Vivo I, Diepstra A, Diver WR, Dogan A, Edlund CK, Foretova L, Fraumeni JF, Gabbas A, Ghesquières H, Giles GG, Glaser S, Glenn M, Glimelius B, Gu J, Habermann TM, Haiman CA, Haioun C, Hofmann JN, Holford TR, Holly EA, Hutchinson A, Izhar A, Jackson RD, Jarrett RF, Kaaks R, Kane E, Kolonel LN, Kong Y, Kraft P, Kricker A, Lake A, Lan Q, Lawrence C, Li D, Liebow M, Link BK, Magnani C, Maynadie M, McKay J, Melbye M, Miligi L, Milne RL, Molina TJ, Monnereau A, Montalvan R, North KE, Novak AJ, Onel K, Purdue MP, Rand KA, Riboli E, Riby J, Roman E, Salles G, Sborov DW, Severson RK, Shanafelt TD, Smith MT, Smith A, Song KW, Song L, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stephens D, Sutherland HJ, Tkachuk K, Thompson CA, Tilly H, Tinker LF, Travis RC, Turner J, Vachon CM, Vajdic CM, Van Den Berg A, Van Den Berg DJ, Vermeulen RCH, Vineis P, Wang SS, Weiderpass E, Weiner GJ, Weinstein S, Doo NW, Ye Y, Yeager M, Yu K, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhang Y, Zheng T, Ziv E, Sampson J, Chatterjee N, Offit K, Cozen W, Wu X, Cerhan JR, Chanock SJ, Slager SL, Rothman N.

Leukemia. 2023 Oct. 37(10):2142. PMID: 37666943

Night shift work, sleep duration and endometrial cancer risk: A pooled analysis from the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2).

Frias-Gomez J, Alemany L, Benavente Y, Clarke MA, de Francisco J, De Vivo I, Du M, Goodman MT, Lacey J, Liao LM, Lipworth L, Lu L, Merritt MA, Michels KA, O'Connell K, Paytubi S, Pelegrina B, Peremiquel-Trillas P, Petruzella S, Ponce J, Risch H, Setiawan VW, Schouten LJ, Shu XO, Trabert B, Van den Brandt PA, Wentzensen N, Wilkens LR, Yu H, Costas L.

Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Dec. 72:101848. PMID: 37716022


News

Optimism may reduce risk of dying prematurely among women

For immediate release: December 7, 2016 Boston, MA – Having an optimistic outlook on life—a general expectation that good things will happen—may help people live longer, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Mediterranean diet linked to longer life

The Mediterranean diet, already considered one of the healthiest diets because of its link to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, has a new feather in its cap. A study by Harvard School of…

Coffee consumption linked to lower risk of endometrial cancer

Drinking several cups of coffee daily appears to reduce women’s risk of developing endometrial cancer, according to a new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study.The study of 67,500 Nurses’ Health Study participants showed that the women aged…