Scientist Profiles

Pamela L. Horn-Ross, Ph.D.
Director of Research, Senior Research Scientist, Northern California Cancer Center

Consulting Professor, Div. of Epidemiology, Dept. of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine
Member, Stanford Cancer Center

2201 Walnut Avenue, Suite 300
Fremont, California 94538-2334
E-mail: pam@nccc.org
Phone: 510-608-5014
Fax: 510-608-5085


Research Interests:

• The potentially anti-carcinogenic effects of phytonutrients (e.g., isoflavones in soy-based foods and isothiocyanates in cruciferous vegetables)
• The causes and prevention of breast, endometrial and thyroid cancer in women

Dr. Horn-Ross' research focuses on nutrition and the etiology of hormonally-dependent cancers in women. Of particular interest are the effects of phytonutrients that may reduce cancer risk, such as the isoflavones in soy foods, the lignans in whole grains, the isothiocyanates in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, and resveratrol in red wine and peanuts. Along with Dr. Stephen Barnes (University of Alabama, Birmingham), Dr. Horn-Ross continues to develop and validate databases for measuring these exposures in population-based studies. In addition, she is evaluating their effects on cancers of the breast, endometrium, and thyroid. For the breast, the critical period of exposure may be during puberty. Hence, Dr. Horn-Ross is currently conducting a cohort study in girls that is examining the effects of isoflavones on pubertal development.

Dr. Horn-Ross is also one of the founding members of the California Teachers Study, which includes 133,479 women who are participating in a lifetime study of women's health. As one of the cohort's primary investigators, she is responsible for the nutritional aspects of the study. Her work in this cohort includes the assessment of dietary and phytonutrient intake and breast, endometrial, and thyroid cancer risk; evaluating the effects of alcohol on breast cancer risk; and an assessment of obesity and cancers of the breast, endometrium, and ovary.

Dr. Horn-Ross also has a strong interest in thyroid cancer. Her previous work in this area has helped to: dispel the idea that excess iodine increases the risk of thyroid cancer in iodine-sufficient populations; confirm the hormonal aspects of thyroid cancer etiology; and identify goiter and diet as major factors explaining ethnic variation in this disease.

Another area in which Dr. Horn-Ross is currently doing research is the modification of the nutritional effects on cancer risk by polymorphic variation in genes which influence the metabolism of phytonutrients and the synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones, e.g., estrogens and androgens.

Selected Research Projects:

Canchola AJ, Horn-Ross PL, Purdie DM.  Risk of second primary malignancies in women with papillary thyroid cancer.  Am J Epidemiol 2006, 163:521-527.   

Horn-Ross PL, Barnes S, Lee VS, Collins CN, Reynolds P, Lee MM, Stewart SL, Canchola AJ, Wilson L, Jones K.  Reliability and validity of an assessment of usual phytoestrogen consumption. Cancer Causes Control 2006, 17:85-93.   

Horn-Ross PL, Canchola AJ, West DW, Stewart SL, Bernstein L, Deapen D, Pinder R, Ross RK, Anton-Culver H, Peel D, Ziogas A, Reynolds P, Wright W.  Patterns of alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in the California Teachers Study Cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarker Prev 2004, 13:405-411.   

Horn-Ross PL, Hoggatt KJ, Lee MM.  Phytoestrogens and thyroid cancer risk: the San Francisco Bay Area Thyroid Cancer Study. Cancer Epidemiol, Biomarkers, Prev 2002, 11:43-49,002.   

Horn-Ross PL, Morris JS, Lee MM, West DW, Whittemore AS, McDougall IR, Nowels K, Stewart SL, Spate VL, Shiau AC, Krone MR.  Iodine and thyroid cancer risk among women in a multiethnic population: the Bay Area Thyroid Cancer Study. Cancer Epidemiol, Biomarkers, Prev 2001, 10:979-986.  

All publications (72)


Education:

Web site Links:
Stanford website for Dr. Horn-Ross:
http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/Pamela_Horn-Ross/

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