April Greek
Principal Research Scientist, Health Research
Battelle
Tel: 206-528-3167
CSDE Research Areas:
- Health of People and Populations
Dr. Greek has more than 25 years of experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of health-related research. Her work includes research in health outcomes, cancer prevention, cancer surveillance, demography, health related behaviors, health service use and health disparities based on race/ethnicity, language, nativity, and socioeconomic status. Recently she has led three CDC contracts to conduct research on cancer surveillance and understanding cancer prevention and risk factors.
- Cancer Incidence Study of Marines/Navy Personnel and Civilian Employees Exposed to Contaminated Drinking Water at USMC Base Camp Lejeune (CIS). The CIS is an ongoing retrospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of exposure to toxic chemicals in the drinking water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, to an unexposed comparison cohort from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA. From the 1950s through the mid-1980s, drinking water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The CIS uses Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for 536,601 cohort members to conduct data linkages and collect the following information: (a) addresses, updated names, and vital status from TransUnion and LexisNexis; (b) vital status from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Data for Epidemiological Researchers; (c) cause of death from the National Death Index (NDI); and, (d) all primary invasive and in situ bladder cancer incidences from 55 state, territorial and federal cancer registries. ATSDR will use these data to assess the impact of exposure at Camp Lejeune on cancer incidence and mortality.
- Case Investigation of Cervical Cancer (CICC) Study. The CICC Study seeks to understand why women continue to get a disease that is largely preventable with appropriate screening and follow-up which allow for detection and treatment of cervical neoplasia prior to invasion. The study worked with three central cancer registries to identify women recently diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. Women were asked to complete surveys to elicit information on barriers and facilitators to screening and care, and to consent to medical chart abstraction. Medical charts in the 5 years prior to diagnosis were reviewed for screening history, follow-up and treatment procedures, and any additional information related to diagnosis. Online surveys were also completed by members of a cervical cancer survivor network. Results were presented at national conferences and manuscripts are underway.
- Reassessment of Monitoring the Impact of a Prophylactic HPV vaccine on HPV Types in Cancers: Using Tissues from Central Cancer Registries (HPV Typing Study). This study seeks to assess the preliminary impact of the HPV vaccine in select cancers and to establish a surveillance protocol for continued monitoring. Tumor samples from cervical cancer and other HPV-associated cancers were gathered by central cancer registries and shipped to the CDC HPV Lab for HPV genotyping analysis. Individual-level registry data and pathology reports were also gathered. This project was the second wave of data collection for the HPV Typing Study. Results were presented at national conferences and manuscripts are underway.