David Hunter, Dean for Academic Affairs and Vincent L. Gregory Professor in Cancer Prevention

Hunter's principal research interests are the etiology of cancer, particularly breast and prostate cancer. He has analyzed inherited susceptibility to cancer and other chronic diseases and established the DF/HCC Core Laboratory for High-Throughput Genotyping at the School. He is Co-Chair of the NCI Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium, and a Co-Director of the NCI CGEMS Special Initiative. In recent years he has led teams that co-discovered the most common genetic variant associated with breast cancer risk and that have made discoveries of novel genetic variants for a variety of nutritional exposures and physical traits. Earlier in his career he helped develop active collaborations with colleagues in Tanzania studying interventions to reduce HIV incidence and disease progression. He has taught a variety of courses ranging from HIV Epidemiology and Field Methods to Genetic Epidemiology. 

Michael Grusby, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Molecular Immunology

Grusby's research interests have been on the role of a class of transcription factors called signal transducer and activator of transcription (STATs) in the differentiation and function of T helper cell subsets. Studies from his lab have shown how manipulating STAT activity can alter the function of T helper cells and therefore change the outcome of diseases such as asthma and diabetes. He has served as the Director of the PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH) Program within the Division of Biological Sciences and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Office for Educational Programs.

Karen Emmons, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Society, Human Development, and Health

Emmons' has an extensive research portfolio in community-based approaches to cancer prevention and control. Her expertise is in behavior change and policy interventions for behavioral cancer risk factors, particularly for low-income communities. She also has expertise in cancer disparities, and in efforts to increase dissemination/knowledge translation in low-resource settings. Based at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she has served as deputy director of the Center for Community-Based Research since 1999. She has held leadership roles within the Dana-Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center including serving as past Director of the Health Communications Core and currently serving as Associate Director for the Initiative to Eliminate Health Disparities.

Victor De Gruttola, Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Professor of Biostatistics

De Gruttola's research activities focus on developments of statistical methods required for appropriate public health response to the AIDS epidemic. The aspects of the epidemic on which he has worked include transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), natural history of infection with HIV, and clinical research on AIDS therapies.  

Marianne Wessling-Resnick, Director of the Biological Sciences in Public Health Program and Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry

Wessling-Resnick focuses on genetic disorders of iron metabolism at the molecular level and their implications in complex disease. Her laboratory was the first to define transferrin receptor-2 as the critical "iron sensor" of circulating serum iron levels. More recently, studies have focused on the influence of iron deficiency and overload in the absorption of inhaled metals. She also is Program Director for three major training grants at HSPH: NIH Roadmap T90 and R90 awards supporting the HSPH Roadmap Fellowship Program, and a NIEH/NHGRI-sponsored T32 grant supporting Interdisciplinary Training in Genes and the Environment. 

Ashish Jha, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management 

The major themes of Jha's research include quality of care provided by health care systems, with a focus on health care disparities as a marker of poor care; information technology among other tools as potential solutions for reducing medical errors and disparities while improving overall quality; organizations that provide care for minorities and underserved populations and the role clinicial information systems can play in improving their care.