Past Research Projects
The Central Valley Stomach Cancer Study (PI: Butler), funded by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP)
This study is examining whether a shift of gastric cancer type toward a greater incidence of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma from non-cardia adenocarcinoma will occur with increased acculturation of Latinos. This project will help identify risk factors for prevention and reduced risk of occurrence and death due to cancer of the gastric cardia, particularly among recently acculturated Hispanics.
Breast and Prostate Cancer Patterns of Care (PI: Cress)
This project will evaluate treatment information for female breast cancer and prostate cancer, focusing on improving the completeness, quality and use of first course of treatment and stage data, and on describing patterns of care for these two cancers.
Cancer Surveillance in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases (Co-PI: Cress)
This retrospective cohort study is analyzing patterns of subsequent cancer development among individuals with various autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Sjogren¹s syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Tuberculosis Transmission and Infection in the Community (PI: DeRiemer), funded by Pfizer
The study will apply state-of-the-art tools to assess infection with M. tuberculosis among tuberculosis patients and their contacts and identify potential risk factors for infection and progression to disease.
Immune Responses to HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Coinfection (PI: DeRiemer), funded by California Research Center for the Biology of HIV in Minorities (CRCBHM) and Universitywide AIDS Program (UARP)
This project will determine whether an interferon-gamma release assay is more sensitive and feasible than the traditional tuberculin skin test for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among HIV-infected persons. ELISPOT and flow cytometry techniques will also be used on samples from a subset of patients to compare patients who are HIV-infected and co-infected with M. tuberculosis versus patients who are HIV-infected but not coinfected with M. tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis Epidemiology in a Mexican Population with High Rates of Drug Resistance (PI: DeRiemer), funded by UC MEXUS
This case-control study will test whether migration is a risk factor for drug-resistant tuberculosis and specifically multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among individuals in Zacatecas, northern Mexico.
Community Mobilization of Out-of-Treatment Injecting Drug Users (PI: Gibson), funded by NIMH.
This is a two-city trial of a multi-component, community-level intervention to prevent HIV among untreated injecting drug users (IDU). A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the intervention, which included peer education, small-group empowerment, drug user-organized syringe exchange, a newsletter, a television show, a social marketing campaign, IDU social gatherings, and an IDU self-organization. One thousand interviews with IDU were conducted before and after the intervention to evaluate its impact at the intervention site (Sacramento) compared with the no-treatment control site (San Diego).
Ecstasy, Impulsivity and HIV-Risk Behavior in College-Age Young Adults (PI: Gibson), funded by the Universitywide AIDS Research Program.
The objectives of this study are to investigate links between ecstasy use, sensation-seeking, impulsivity, attention function, psychiatric morbidity and sexual risk behavior and determine HIV prevalence in ecstasy users, compared with users of other drugs and non-drug users.
Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) (PI: Gold), funded by NIA, NINR, NCCAM and ORWH
This is a longitudinal cohort study of five ethnic groups of midlife women followed through the menopause transition using annual clinic visits, measures of endogenous hormones, physical measures, bone mineral density, biannual cardiovascular measures and questionnaire data on health with ancillary studies of complementary and alternative medicine use, sleep and mammography.
Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) (PI: Gold), funded by NCI.
This is a randomized controlled dietary intervention trial for early stage breast cancer survivors to determine if a plant-based, low fat, high fiber diet can reduce recurrence and improve survival.
Sacramento Community Women's Health Study (PI: Gold), funded NIEHS.
This is a cross-sectional comparative study of the health of women who are and those who are not living near an environmentally contaminated site.
Mammographic Density in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) (PI: Gold), funded by NCI
This ancillary study to SWAN is designed to assess breast cancer risk factors, in a multi-ethnic cohort of women transitioning from pre- through peri- to post-menopause in relation to mammographic density, an important preclinical indicator of breast cancer risk.
Sleep During the Menopausal Transition (SWAN) (PI: Gold), funded by NIA
This ancillary study to SWAN is a longitudinal design to assess the independent effects of the menopausal transition (as well as hormonal and symptoms changes) and aging as well as other risk factors in relation to changes in different aspects of sleep.
Vaccine formulation as a cause of feline vaccine-associated sarcomas (PI: Kass)
This is a study of determinants of feline vaccine-associated sarcomas, examining the role of different vaccine formulations in the induction of the disease.
Santa Clara Overpopulation Study (PI: Kass), funded by the Cat Fancier’s Association
This study concerns the effect of county-wide spay and neuter programs on relinquishment of animals to shelters in Santa Clara County.
Costs of Occupational Injury and Illness (PI: Leigh), funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
This study will estimate costs across demographic groups, industries, and occupations as well as for the nation as a whole. A separate project will estimate the national costs of needlestick injuries.