Joseph Leo Wiemels, PhD

The causes of most human cancers are unclear, but appear to be related to miscues in normal tissue developmental pathways, mutations (genetic and epigenetic) in critical genes caused by errors, infection, and chemicals, and a failure of recognition and removal of tumors by the immune system. Dr. Wiemels studies these factors as potential causes of hematopoietic and brain tumors. Large population-based studies of human cancer in California populations form a basis for examining the origin of these cancers, with a focus on future prevention. This type of research is highly collaborative, and Dr. Wiemels works with several epidemiologists, geneticists, clinicians, biologists, and statisticians.

• Kenyon College, Gambier, OH — BA — 05/1988 — Biology
• University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA — PhD — 05/1997 — Toxicology
• Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK — Postdoctoral — 1999 — Molecular etiology of leukemia

• Cytomegalovirus as an etiologic and clinico-pathogenic factor in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  NIH · R01CA268494 · Jun 21, 2022 – May 31, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Immune epigenetic biomarkers of survival in glioma epidemiology
  NIH · R01CA207360 · Aug 1, 2017 – Jul 31, 2022 · Role: Co-Investigator
• Brain Tumor Epidemiology in the Era of Precision Medicine
  NIH · R13CA221308 · Jun 27, 2017 – May 31, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium
  NIH · R13CA206359 · Apr 1, 2016 – Mar 31, 2017 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Genetic Susceptibility to Pediatric Glioma inIndividuals and Diverse populations
  NIH · R01CA194189 · Sep 9, 2015 – Jan 31, 2021 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Perinatal immune development and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  NIH · R01CA175737 · Aug 1, 2014 – Jul 31, 2021 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Impact of low IL-10 levels at birth and leukemia risk
  NIH · R01CA185058 · Jun 1, 2014 – May 31, 2020 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Varicella virus antigens in glioma etiology and survival
  NIH · U01CA182371 · Mar 6, 2014 – Jan 31, 2019 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Genome-Wide Association Study of Childhood Leukemia by Hispanic Status
  NIH · R01CA155461 · Jul 1, 2011 – Apr 30, 2017 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Meningioma: Risk Factors and Quality of Life
  NIH · R01CA109745 · Jun 26, 2006 – Apr 30, 2011 · Role: Principal Investigator
• BACKTRACKING TRANSLOCATIONS IN CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA
  NIH · R01CA089032 · Mar 2, 2001 – Aug 31, 2008 · Role: Principal Investigator

• cancer, leukemia, brain cancer, genetics, epigenetics, environment, immunity, development

• Haiman, Christopher
• Orgel, Etan
• Bhojwani, Deepa
• Peters, Anne
• Wayne, Alan
• Lenz, Heinz-Josef