Rutgers School of Public Health faculty have been awarded $437,250.00 by the National Institute of Environmental Health and Safety (NIEHS) to study associations between circadian rhythm and breast cancer risk. Dr. Mingzhu Fang, assistant professor, department of environmental and occupation health, is the principal investigator for the project titled, “Altered NAD+-dependent Sirt1 as a Biomarker of Circadian Disruption by Shift Work.”

[Photo: Dr. Mingzhu Fang]

The study will test the hypotheses that disruption of circadian rhythm associated with shift work increases the risk of breast cancer by inducing abnormal circadian cycling and reducing levels of intracellular redox power and survival enzyme activity. The goal of this project is to develop mechanistic biomarkers of disrupted circadian rhythm in shift workers. These biomarkers can then be used in future studies to explore preventive strategies with dietary agents in women at elevated risk of breast cancer due to shift work.

This project will be conducted by Dr. Fang, in collaboration with Rutgers School of Public Health faculty Dr. Howard Kipen, interim chair and professor, department of environmental and occupational health, Dr. Pamela Ohman-Strickland, associate dean for student affairs and professor, department of biostatistics, Dr. Helmut Zarbl, NIEHS Center director and professor, department of environmental and occupational health, and Dr. Judith Graber, assistant professor, department of epidemiology.