Population Sciences and Cancer Outcomes
The Population Sciences and Cancer Outcomes program is dedicated to understanding and reducing cancer risk, advancing early cancer detection, and improving health outcomes for cancer survivors.
Research members are focused on tobacco science, cancer prevention and screening, and caregivers and survivorship, with cross-cutting themes in healthcare delivery and rural disparities, to address the burden of cancer across the catchment area.
Theme One
Reduce tobacco use in vulnerable populations and provide evidence to guide tobacco policy.
Theme Two
Develop and evaluate cancer screening strategies that maximize benefits while minimizing harms.
Theme Three
Develop interventions to improve the health and quality of life of cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers.
in grant funding awarded in 2025.
Program Impact
New Publication Raises Awareness About the Advantages and Potential Harms of AI Analyses of Clinical Visits
Nearly one billion annual healthcare conversations are captured during clinical documentation in the United States. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine AI, led by Robert Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., highlights both the promise and risks of using AI to analyze those conversations. Dr. Gramling and co-authors outline strategies to prevent unintended harms—such as algorithmic bias and data commoditization—while emphasizing how AI‑driven efficiencies could enhance clinician–patient connection. They also point to broader opportunities in cancer care, from personalized decision support to new insights into how conversations shape patient and family experiences.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy Shows Promise for Young Adults Using Both Cigarettes and E‑Cigarettes
A randomized clinical trial led by UVM researchers Elias Klemperer, Ph.D., and Stephen T. Higgins, Ph.D., tested nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) among young adults who both smoke cigarettes and use e‑cigarettes, a rapidly growing pattern of dual tobacco use. The study, published in Nicotine Tobacco Research Journal, found that NRT was effective at helping this population achieve early smoking cessation, and that combining NRT with guidance to quit both cigarettes and e‑cigarettes may further improve longer‑term abstinence. These findings offer new evidence to guide treatment recommendations for young adult dual users, a group for whom little cessation research currently exists.
Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Not Associated with Increases in Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer or Mastectomy Rates, New Study Finds
Carina Zhang‑Petersen, M.D., examined changes to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force breast cancer screening guidelines and their population‑level impact. During her resident research year in the Department of Surgery at UVM’s Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine, Dr. Zhang-Peterson served as first author of a JAMA Network Open study showing that guideline changes were not associated with increases in advanced‑stage breast cancer or mastectomy rates. Supported by Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System investigators and UVM Cancer Center members Michelle Sowden, D.O., and Brian Sprague, Ph.D., Dr. Zhang-Peterson's nationally recognized work has garnered significant media attention and more than 5,000 views within its first year of publication.
Rural Health in Focus
Researchers Find Rural Cancer Patients Appreciate Telehealth
Elise Tarbi, Ph.D., APRN, is leading a qualitative study examining telehealth preferences among rural Vermonters with cancer. According to early findings, patients report that virtual care is helpful in reducing their stress and supporting communication effectiveness. This aligns with prior evidence that telehealth maintains quality in palliative care and chronic disease management.
Study Reveals Food Insecurity Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Trishnee Bhurosy, Ph.D., led a study published in Cancer Causes & Control that showed notably high rates of unmet nutritional needs. Younger adults in particular were disproportionately affected by food insecurity, as were survivors who reported poor communication with healthcare providers. Dr. Bhurosy is working to identify best practices to identify survivors at UVMCC with nutritional needs.
New Publication Provides Insights Into Engaging Rural Cancer Survivors in Research
Emily Hallgren, Ph.D., and colleagues developed a survivorship needs‑assessment survey to examine how rurality and age influence participation in cancer research. Findings in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science showed that rural and older survivors were more likely to participate via mail, while younger urban survivors preferred online platforms.
Sulamunn Coleman
Research Assistant Professor, Psychological Science
Leslie Bradford, M.D.
Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Tyler Erath, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
