Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson

2007 Career Investigator Award, Senior Scholar

Population-based genetic studies of cancer and healthy aging|,|

The number of elderly Canadians is increasing as the baby boomers age. Insight into how to promote healthy aging, together with advice about healthy living and avoiding disease for our aging population, will influence Canada's health care costs and the quality of life of this large segment of our population.

Cancer and aging are intimately connected. Cancer incidence rises with age, and this increase accelerates dramatically over 60 years of age. Cancer and other aging-associated diseases like cardiovascular disease are thought to result from the interaction of numerous genetic and environmental or lifestyle factors. Population-based studies that use large groups of affected and unaffected individuals are now the preferred method to study the genetics of complex diseases.

Dr. Angela Brooks-Wilson will work in close collaboration with clinical experts including oncologists and gerontologists using state-of-the-art genetic analysis to study healthy aging and two specific cancers: non-Hodgkin lymphoma and cervical cancer. Her goal is to identify the genetic factors that contribute to susceptibility to cancer or those that contribute to long-term good health. This program will expand over the next five years to add additional types of cancer.

Her coordinated study of cancer and healthy aging is a unique and innovative approach that will increase our understanding of the connection between cancer and aging, and generate new knowledge about the basis of common aging-associated diseases like cancer. This research will lead to development of clinically useful markers and information that will help individuals avoid developing diseases as they age.

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