Dr. Hyokyoung (Grace) Hong awarded yearlong appointment at National Cancer Institute
Dr. Hyokyoung (Grace) Hong will join the National Cancer Institute (NCI) research participation program at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland for one year, beginning Jan. 4, 2021 and ending Jan. 3, 2022. The appointment is in recognition of her past achievements, as well as her expertise in statistical methods applied to cancer research.
Dr. Hong’s project at NCI is to develop novel statistical methods for studying relationships between high-dimensional genetic biomarkers on the occurrence or risk of cancer. It involves the development of cutting-edge machine learning and statistical algorithms, specifically tailored for population-based studies. She will collaborate with various research teams at the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), which are tasked to develop risk predictions based on millions of genetic biomarkers and their interactions with environmental exposures. DCEG, as a research program of NCI, is the world's most comprehensive cancer epidemiology research group. Their research informs public health policy in the United States and many other countries. By working with leading epidemiologists, geneticists, and biostatisticians in the program, Dr. Hong hopes to conduct population and multidisciplinary research to discover genetic and environmental determinants of cancer and develop new approaches for prevention and early detection of cancer.
Dr. Hong looks forward to sharing with her NCI colleagues the work conducted by investigators in STT and MSU, and hopes this introduction will lead to more collaborations between MSU and NCI investigators in the future. As an ambassador, Dr. Hong will inform the MSU community of the cutting-edge work conducted by NCI, and in particular, identify connections and opportunities with NCI for STT students who are motivated to work in related areas. Colleagues and students can continue to reach her by MSU email. Students are particularly encouraged to contact her if they have questions or need advice.
