Karen Messer

Dr. Karen Messer is a Professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego. She serves as Director of the UCSD Moores Cancer Center Biostatistics Shared Resource and previously led the Division of Biostatistics (2013–2022). Her research focuses on causal inference, biomarker development, clinical trials design, and tobacco control, with significant contributions to cancer epidemiology and Alzheimer’s disease studies. Dr. Messer holds a Ph.D. in Statistics (UCSD, 1985), an MS in Economics (UCSD, 1983), and a BS in Mathematics (Harvard University, 1979).

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Mathematics (Statistics), UCSD, 1985
  • MS in Economics, UCSD, 1983
  • BS in Mathematics, Harvard University, 1979

Her research integrates biostatistical methods with public health challenges, emphasizing tobacco control policy, cancer clinical trials, and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. Notable projects include population-level studies on cigarette smoking trends and the design of adaptive clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Messer has led major grants such as the NIH P30 Cancer Center Support Grant (since 1978) and R01-funded studies on lung cancer epidemiology and breast cancer survival predictors. Her work bridges statistical rigor with translational impact, including collaborations on vaccine adjuvants and imaging techniques for cancer detection. She also advocates for evidence-based public health policies, particularly in tobacco taxation and graphic warning labels.

Her team’s innovations include prognostic biomarker models and methods to improve colorectal cancer surveillance. Dr. Messer’s leadership in biostatistical resources supports interdisciplinary research across UCSD’s health sciences.