Contact Information

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics: Faculty


Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799
Building E, Room 2009
Phone: (301) 295-3712
Email: jennifer.rusiecki@usuhs.edu

Jennifer A. Rusiecki, PhD

Associate Professor of Epidemiology

Profile

Dr. Rusiecki's training is in occupational and environmental epidemiology, with cancer as the main disease endpoint for which she has investigated potential associations with various occupational and environmental exposures. Over the last five years at USU, Dr. Rusiecki's research portfolio has developed to encompass three general areas of focus, all of which have overlapping themes: (1) occupational and environmental exposures and cancer risk, (2) epigenetic mechanisms influenced by environmental exposures and in the pathway to cancer, and (3) emergency responder health. A recent focus of hers, which falls under the latter category, is the follow-up of U.S. Coast Guard responders who were involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean-up.

Degrees

  • Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Master of Environmental Studies (MES)
  • Ph.D. Epidemiology

Teaching

  • Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
  • Guest lecturer in Principles of Epidemiology & Analytical Instrumentation Methodologies in Environmental Health

Areas of Expertise

  • Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology
  • Cancer Epidemiology
  • Environmental influences on epigenetic mechanisms
  • Epigenetic mechanisms in early cancer detection
  • Epigenetic mechanisms of PTSD and TBI
  • Emergency responder health

Selected Recent Publications

§ Rusiecki JA, Chen L, Srikantan V, Zhang L, Yan L, Polin ML, Baccarelli A, "DNA methylation in repetitive elements and post-traumatic stress disorder: a case-control study of US military service members." Epigenomics. 2012 Feb;4(1):29-40.

§ Rusiecki JA, Al-Nabhani M, Tarantini L, Chen L, Baccarelli A, Al-Moundhri MS "Global DNA methylation and promoter region-specific methylation of tumor suppressor genes, CDH1 (E-Cadherin), p16, TP53, and RUNX3 in whole blood associated with gastric cancer risk in an Omani Arab population." Epigenomics. 2011 Aug;3(4):417-29

§ Al-Moundhri MS, Al-Nabhani M, Tarantini L, Baccarelli A, Rusiecki JA. The prognostic significance of whole blood global and specific DNA methylation levels in gastric adenocarcinoma. PLoS One: 2010 Dec 23:5(12):e15585.

§ Beane Freeman LE, Rusiecki JA, Hoppin JA, Lubin JH, Koutros S, Andreotti G, Zahm SH, Hines CJ, Coble JB, Barone-Adesi F, Sloan J, Sandler DP, Blair A, Alavanja MC. Atrazine and Cancer Incidence Among Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (1994-2007). Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Sep;119(9):1253-9; 2011 May 27

§ Rusiecki J, Thomas D, Blair A. Mortality among United States Coast Guard marine inspectors: a follow up. Mil Med. 2009 Aug;174(8):843-51.

§ Rusiecki JA, Patel R, Koutros S, Beane-Freeman L, Landgren O, Bonner MR, Coble J, Lubin J, Blair A, Hoppin JA, Alavanja MC. Cancer incidence among pesticide applicators exposed to permethrin in the Agricultural Health Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2009 Apr;117(4):581-6.

§ Rusiecki JA, Baccarelli A, Bollati V, Tarantini L, Moore LE, Bonefeld-Jorgensen EC Global DNA hypomethylation is associated with high serum-persistent organic pollutants in Greenlandic Inuit. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Nov;116(11):1547-52.

Professional Activities

  • Member, International Society of Environmental Epidemiology
  • Member, USMCI/National Cancer Institute Scientific Steering Committee (2005-present)
  • Assessment of PMB Faculty Mentoring
  • PMB CAPT