Halcyon G. Skinner, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor

Email: hgskinner@wisc.edu

Biography:

A long recognized feature of many cancers is that their incidence increases with increasing age. Although this phenomenon has attracted the attention of epidemiologists through the years, very little is known about the specific mechanisms whereby increasing age increases the risk for cancer in the population. My work relates broadly to the molecular epidemiology of fatal cancers. In the context of population-level studies of cancer risk, I examine specific hypotheses about the role that aging plays in increasing the risk for pancreatic and colon cancers. I am presently examining interactions between markers in candidate genes related to cellular aging and environmental factors that may influence the risk for pancreatic and colon cancers. The aim is to better understand if processes surrounding cellular aging are important determinants of an individual’s propensity to develop either of these malignancies. A second important area of my work relates to understanding the role that variability in the vitamin D endocrine system plays in the etiology and progression of cancer.

Affiliations/Associations:

• Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Institute on Aging
• Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
• Society for Epidemiologic Research
• American College of Epidemiology
• American Society for Preventive Oncology
• American Association for Cancer Research

Select Publications:

Skinner HG, Schwartz GG. A Prospective Study of Total and Ionized Serum Calcium and Fatal Prostate Cancer. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. 2009 Feb; 18(2):575-8.

Skinner HG, Schwartz GG. Serum calcium and incident and fatal prostate cancer in theNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. 2008 Sep; 17(9):2302-5.

Gawron AJ, Gapstur SM, Fought AJ, Talamonti MS, Skinner HG. Sociodemographic and tumor characteristics associated with pancreatic cancer surgery in the United States. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2008 Jun ;97(7):578-82.

Schwartz GG, Skinner HG. Vitamin D status and cancer: new insights. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2007 Jan;10(1):6-11.

Skinner HG, Michaud DS, Giovannucci EL, Willett WC, Colditz GA, Fuchs CS. Vitamin D intake and the risk for pancreatic cancer in two cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. 2006 Sep;15(9):1688-95.

Matsubayashi H, Skinner HG, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Abe T, Sato N, Riall TS, Yeo CJ, Kern SE, Goggins M. Pancreaticobiliary cancers with deficient methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotypes. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology,2005;3(8):752-760.

Michaud DS, Skinner HG, Wu K, Hu F, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, Colditz GA, Fuchs CS. Dietary patterns and pancreatic cancer risk in men and women. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005;97(7):518-24.

Skinner HG, Michaud DS, Giovannucci EL, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Colditz GA, Fuchs CS. A prospective study of folate intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer in men and women. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2004;1(3):248-258.

Skinner HG, Michaud DS, Colditz GA, Giovannucci EL, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Fuchs CS. Parity, reproductive factors, and the risk of pancreatic cancer in women. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 2003;12: 433-438.

Tascilar M, Skinner HG, Rosty C, Sohn T, Wilentz RE, Offerhaus GJA, Adsay V, Abrams RA, Cameron JL, Kern SE, Yeo CJ, Hruban RH, Goggins M. The SMAD4 protein and prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Clinical Cancer Research, 2001;12:4115-4121.

Ueki T, Toyota M, Skinner H, Walter KM, Yeo CJ, Issa JPJ, Hruban RH, Goggins M. Identification and characterization of differentially methylated CpG islands in pancreatic carcinoma. Cancer Research, 2001;61: 8540-8546.

Courses Taught:

(PHS-797) Introduction to Epidemiology (Syllabus)

Contact Details:

Address:
Department of Population Health Sciences
WARF 1007B
610 Walnut St.
Madison WI 53726

Phone: (608) 265-4654

Fax: (608)265-4654

Email: hgskinner@wisc.edu