Dr. Irina Stepanov

The overall objective of this group's research is to investigate the effects of occupational exposures, demographics (e.g., smoking history and intensity, race/ethnicity, and education), and common genetic variants on the levels of urinary cadmium (Cd), a validated biomarker of long-term Cd exposure, in current smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study. In addition, the researchers will test whether this biomarker in smokers is associated with lung cancer risk.

The specific aims are:

• Aim 1: To investigate the relationship between self-reported occupation and urinary Cd levels in 1,956 smokers from five race/ethnicity groups from the MEC Study with complete covariate data
• Aim 2: To quantify levels of Cd in the urine of 1,977 smokers and carry out a genome-wide association study in search of common genetic variants associated with urinary Cd in current smokers
• Aim 3: Accounting for previously identified factors (Aims 1 and 2), investigate the potential differences in prospectively measured urinary Cd between smokers within the MEC Study who developed lung cancer and those who remained lung cancer free