Victoria Kristence Cortessis

Victoria Kristence Cortessis is a Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California within the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. Her professional activities are centered on research and teaching, with a primary focus on epidemiology. Dr. Cortessis integrates approaches from anthropology, human genetics, and molecular biology in her work.

• Research Interests: Urogenital malignancies, congenital disorders, cervical cancer disparities, environmental epigenetics, genetic susceptibility, and chronic disease epidemiology.

Her recent publications highlight trends in cancer and public health research, including:

• Investigations into genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers for testicular and bladder cancers
• Environmental epigenetics and microRNA dysregulation
• Health disparities in cervical cancer and preterm birth
• Translational applications of biomarkers like GDF15

Dr. Cortessis also emphasizes interdisciplinary education, teaching epidemiologic methods at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and integrating population science into clinical-translational research.