Table 5.

Projects in the Washington University in St Louis Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer Center (Principal Investigator: Graham Colditz, MD; Co-Principal Investigator: Sarah Gehlert, PhD)

Project 1: Transgenerational animal models of nutritional impact on cancer predisposition. Project Leader: Kelle H. Moley, MD This project will examine the effect of maternal high-fat diet and changes in metabolic bioenergetics on prostate gland development and susceptibility to prostate cancer in male offspring. This team will address exposures across epigenetic changes that arise among offspring of obese females, leading to abnormal expression of key genes involved in the development of the prostate gland, which predispose the offspring to develop cancer. Findings from this project will be positioned to inform molding of cancer in populations as implemented in Project Four.

Project 2: Energy balance and post-radical prostatectomy urinary and sexual function: PIE (Prostatectomy, Incontinence and Erectile function). Project Leaders: Kathleen Wolin, ScD and Adam S. Kibel, MD Concerns regarding the loss of urinary and sexual function are major drivers of treatment decisions in men with prostate cancer. This prospective observational cohort study will recruit n=500 men prior to radical prostatectomy and follow them for 12 months post-operatively to evaluate the role of physical activity and obesity in trajectories of urinary and sexual function following surgical treatment for prostate cancer, thus addressing an important patient-reported outcome. Furthermore, this team addresses the TREC goal of expanding translational research to cancer survivors.

Project 3: SHOW-ME Study (Supports at Home and Work for Maintaining Energy Balance). Project Leaders: Christine Hoehner, PhD, MSPH and Ross Brownson, PhD This project addresses worksite environments and policies relevant for physical activity and diet behaviors and evaluates whether worksite supports for physical activity and healthy eating are predictive of obesity. Assessing worksite in the context of built environment will provide actionable knowledge about what policy changes in communities and worksites would have the greatest impact on healthy lifestyles to prevent obesity and related cancers. This team will begin designing for dissemination early in the study period to bring their findings to local worksites, governments and practitioners.

Project 4: Social determinants in the link between obesity and cancer. Project Leaders: Peter Hovmand, PhD and Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH This project focuses on understanding the role that social determinants play in the link between obesity and cancer at the population level across the lifespan. This team will develop a multi-cohort computer simulation model of obesity and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The influence of social determinants on the link between obesity and NHL will then be studied through a series of factual/counter-factual comparison. Once the simulation approach is established, additional cancers can be added to the model using data from this or other TREC Centers.