معرفی
Dr. Jennifer A. Doherty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah and a Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. She serves as the Executive Director of the Utah Cancer Registry and Principal Investigator of the Utah Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) site. Dr. Doherty also holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Utah and the Department of Epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. As an Affiliate Investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, she maintains a robust research program focused on cancer epidemiology and molecular mechanisms.
Dr. Doherty received her BS in Biology from Cornell University, an MS in Epidemiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. Following post-doctoral training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, she joined the faculty at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth before moving to the University of Utah in 2016. She has held significant leadership roles including Chair of the Utah Population Database Faculty Advisory Committee and service on the NIH Cancer, Heart, and Sleep Panel B Study Section.
Her NIH-funded research program focuses on the molecular and genetic epidemiology of ovarian and lung cancers, with particular emphasis on characterizing molecular subtypes to understand risk, outcomes, and disparities. Dr. Doherty's work spans several critical areas including identifying similarities and differences in epidemiologic and genetic risk factors across ovarian cancer subtypes, investigating factors associated with ovarian cancer survival disparities by race/ethnicity, characterizing epidemiologic and molecular features of ovarian cancer in diverse populations, and evaluating biomarkers such as telomere length and methylation markers for risk stratification in lung cancer. Her research leverages transdisciplinary team science with national and international collaborations, contributing significantly to our understanding of cancer etiology and outcomes.
Analysis of Dr. Doherty's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on ovarian cancer molecular subtypes, racial disparities in cancer outcomes, and innovative applications of bioinformatics and AI in cancer research. Her work spans molecular epidemiology, cancer genomics, health disparities research, and the development of novel analytical approaches for cancer registry data. A significant portion of her recent work examines racial disparities in ovarian cancer, particularly focusing on Black women's outcomes and the genomic features that may contribute to these disparities. She has also expanded into applying deep learning techniques to pathology reports and cancer registry data, demonstrating her commitment to methodological innovation in cancer epidemiology.
- Huntsman Cancer Institute Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
- Executive Director of the Utah Cancer Registry
- Principal Investigator of the Utah SEER site
- Chair of the Utah Population Database Faculty Advisory Committee
- Standing member of the NIH Cancer, Heart, and Sleep Panel B Study Section
- 2019-2020 Chair-Elect of the AACR Molecular Epidemiology Working Group
Dr. Doherty is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of team scientists and has experience developing innovative, integrative training programs in epidemiology. Her leadership of the Utah Cancer Registry and PI role for the Utah SEER site provide substantial grant funding that supports her research infrastructure and trainees. As an HCI Staff Investigator with strong foundation in molecular epidemiologic methods, she mentors trainees to integrate molecular epidemiology and bioinformatics with laboratory and clinical research efforts. Her collaborations span multiple institutions including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Dartmouth College, creating a rich training environment for students and postdocs.
Dr. Doherty leads the Doherty Lab, which focuses on molecular and genetic epidemiology of ovarian and lung cancers. The lab utilizes the Utah Cancer Registry and Population Database resources to conduct population-based research with strong emphasis on health disparities. Her team employs transdisciplinary approaches combining epidemiological methods, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and statistical genetics to address critical questions in cancer etiology and outcomes. The lab's work on ovarian cancer molecular subtypes has contributed significantly to understanding how different subtypes may require different prevention and treatment strategies, particularly in diverse populations.
