Research Programs: Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Prevention & Etiology
Professor and Director, Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics
Adjunct Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health
CCRF Suzanne Holmes-Hodder Chair in Pediatric Cancer Research

rossx014@umn.edu
612-626-2902, office

Dr. Ross is professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics. She also holds an adjunct appointment in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health in the School of Public Health and is a full member of the graduate faculty. Dr. Ross received a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota in 1994 and joined the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics in 1995. In addition to her training in epidemiology, Dr. Ross has considerable experience in molecular biology; she directs a laboratory that is investigating the genetic and environmental causes of cancer. She has received numerous NIH grant awards for her work in pediatric cancer, including most recently a highly competitive Established Investigator Award (K05). Dr. Ross' K05 focuses on transdisciplinary approaches and includes mentoring of junior investigators for careers in pediatric malignancy. She also currently chairs the NIH Epidemiology of Cancer (EPIC) Study Section. Dr. Ross recently received two University-wide awards for her outstanding mentoring of junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows, respectively. She also directs the Childhood Cancer Research Network (CCRN) in the Children's Oncology Group, a consortium of hospitals and institutions that treat the vast majority of children with cancer in the United States. The CCRN actively enrolls children newly diagnosed with cancer along with their parents/guardians and provides a research resource for several NIH-funded COG investigators. As of January 2012, over 25,000 patients have been enrolled.

Research Interests

Dr. Ross' research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches toward understanding the etiology of cancer in children. She has published extensively (over 170 publications) on environmental and biological risk factors for childhood cancer. Dr. Ross is particularly interested in integrating molecular biology/genetics with epidemiologic studies of cancer. Recently, her team has identified certain genetic variations that are common to children with specific types of cancer. These studies could lead to new risk stratification approaches as well as new therapeutic targets. Dr. Ross also leads one of most comprehensive studies in the world focused on understanding the causes of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and why some cases progress to leukemia. Dr. Ross also recently led an experimental study to investigate the role of maternal folic acid supplementation in the etiology of medulloblastoma, a common childhood brain tumor. Results of this study will help confirm or refute epidemiologic observations.

Selected Publications

Poynter JN, Hooten AJ, Frazier AL, Ross JA. Associations between variants in KITLG, SPRY4, BAK1 and DMRT1 and pediatric germ cell tumors. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2012; 51:266-271.

Oppeneer SJ, Ross JA, Koh W-P, Yuan JM, Robien K. Genetic variation in folylpolyglutamate synthase and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase and plasma homocysteine levels in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Mol Genet Metab. 2012; 105:73-78.

Von Behren J, Spector LG, Mueller BA, Carozza SE, Chow EJ, Fox EE, Horel S, Johnson KJ, McLaughlin C, Puumala SE, Ross JA, Reynolds P. Birth order and risk of childhood cancer: A pooled analysis from five US states.Int J Cancer 2011; 128:2709-2716.

Musselman JR, Jurek AM, Johnson KJ, Linabery AM, Robison LL, Shu XO, Ross JA. Maternal dietary patterns during early pregnancy and the odds of childhood germ cell tumors: A Children's Oncology Group Study. Am J Epidemiol 2011; 173:282-291 .

Ognjanovic S, Blair CK, Spector LG, Robison LL, Roesler M, Ross JA. Analgesic use during pregnancy and risk of infant leukaemia: A Children's Oncology Group Study. Br J Cancer 2011; 104:532-536.

Puumala SE, Ross JA, Wall MM, Spector LG. Pediatric germ cell tumors and parental infertility and infertility treatment: a Children's Oncology Group report. Cancer Epidemiol 2011; 35:e25-31.

Slater ME, Linabery AM, Spector LG, Johnson KJ, Robison LL, Hilden JM, Heerema NA, Ross JA. Maternal exposure to household chemicals and risk of infant leukemia: A report from the Children's Oncology Group. Cancer Causes Control 2011; 22:1197-204.

Sam TN, Kersey JH, Linabery AM, Johnson KJ, Heerema NA, Hilden JM, Davies SM, Ross JA. MLL gene rearrangements in infant leukemia vary with age at diagnosis and selected demographic factors: A Children's Oncology Group (COG) study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011 [Epub ahead of print].

Ross JA, Blair CK, Cerhan JR, Soler JR, Hirsch BA, Roesler MA, Higgins RR, Nguyen PL. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and acetaminophen use and risk of adult myeloid leukemia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 2011; 20:1741-1750.

Linabery AM, Slater ME, Spector LG, Olshan AF, Stork SK, Roesler MA, Reaman GH, Ross JA. Feasibility of neonatal dried blood spot retrieval amid evolving state policies (2009-2010): a Children's Oncology Group study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2011;25:549-558.

Jurek AM, Greenland S, Spector LG, Roesler MA, Robison LL, Ross JA. Self-report versus medical record data in a study of infant leukemia: A study from the Children's Oncology Group. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2011; 25:540-548.

Slater ME, Linabery AM, Blair CK, Spector LG, Heerema NA, Robison LL, Ross JA. Maternal prenatal cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use and risk of infant leukemia: A report from the Children's Oncology Group. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2011; 25:559-565.

Schimmenti LA, Warman B, Schleiss MR, Daly KA, Ross JA, McCann M, Jurek AM, Berry SA. Evaluation of newborn screening bloodspot based genetic testing as an adjunct to bedside newborn hearing screening (NHS). Genet Med 2011; 13:1006-1010.

Poynter JN, Radzom AH, Spector LG, Puumala S, Robison LL, Chen Z, Ross JA, Shu XO. Family history of cancer and malignant germ cell tumors in children: A report from the Children's Oncology Group. Cancer Causes Control 2010; 21:181-189.

Linabery AM, Jurek AM, Duval S, Ross JA. The association between atopy and childhood/ adolescent leukemia: A meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 2010; 171:749-764.

Johnson KJ, Roesler MA, Linabery AM, Hilden JM, Davies SM, Ross JA. Infant leukemia and congenital abnormalities: A Children's Oncology Group study. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010; 55:95-99.

Langer EK, Johnson KJ, Shafer MM, Gorski P, Overdier J, Musselman J, Ross JA. Characterization of the elemental composition of newborn blood spots using high resolution-inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2011;21:355-364.

Puumala SE, Spector LG, Wall MM, Robison LL, Heerema NH, Roesler MA, Ross JA. Infant leukemia and parental infertility or its treatment: A Children's Oncology Group report. Hum Reprod 2010; 25:1561-1568.

Poynter JN, Amatruda JF, Ross JA. Trends in incidence and survival of pediatric and adolescent patients with germ cell tumors in the United States, 1975 to 2006. Cancer 2010; 116:4882-4891.

Linabery AM, Puumala SE, Hilden JH, Davies SM, Heerema NA, Roesler MA, Ross JA. Maternal vitamin and iron supplementation and risk of infant leukaemia: A report from the Children's Oncology Group. Br J Cancer 2010; 103:1724-1728.