Dr. Chiu investigates the causes and outcomes of lymphoma and multiple myeloma in racial/ethnic and geographically diverse populations using integrated modern molecular techniques and epidemiologic approaches. His current main focus areas are: (1) developing novel epigenetics-based biomarkers in circulating cell-free DNA for prognostication and management of cancers, especially multiple myeloma, (2) identifying lifestyle, biological, and treatment factors that influence the survival and outcomes of multiple myeloma patients, and (3) studying lifestyles, environmental exposures, genetics, and epigenetics that are associated with risks of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. He is also an active researcher in large international consortia, including the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph), International Multiple Myeloma Consortium (now InterLymph-Myeloma Working Group), and the NCI AsiaLymph. Dr. Chiu’s ongoing NIH-funded and other major research projects include:
• Epidemiology of Multiple Myeloma Outcomes at UChicago (EMMOC): Dr. Chiu and his colleagues are enrolling patients with multiple myeloma at the UChicago Medical Center to characterize serial epigenetic signatures in circulating cell-free DNA and evaluate integration with quantitative image-based markers for minimally-invasive assessment of response to myeloma treatment.
• Study at UChicago for Cancer Epigenetic EpiDemiology (SUCCEED): Dr. Chiu and his team use a sensitive single-base epigenetic profiling technology to characterize epigenetic modifications in cancers for liquid biopsy-based biomarker discovery in cancer detection and monitoring.
• UChicago Myeloma Epidemiology Study: In this clinic-based cohort study at the University of Chicago, Dr. Chiu and his team investigate lifestyle, diet, cytogenetics, genetics, and epigenetic modifications, particularly 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, implicated in the racial/ethnic disparities in the development and outcomes of multiple myeloma.
• International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph) and AsiaLymph: Dr. Chiu is collaborating with a large group of multi-institute international investigators to investigate the role of environmental exposures and genetic factors in the development of lymphoid malignancies. One of the ongoing major multi-institute initiatives is the InterLymph Genome-Wide Association Study of Lymphoid Malignancies and Related Disorders. Dr. Chiu was also the principal investigator of Taiwan Center for the NCI AsiaLymph study to investigate the contribution of environmental, occupational, and genetic factors to lymphoma risk in Eastern Asia.
People
Brian Chih-Hung Chiu, PhD
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Professor of Public Health Sciences
Professor of Family Medicine - Research and Scholarly Interests: Epigenetics, Health disparities, Liquid biopsy, Molecular epidemiology, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Translational population research
- Websites: Research Network Profile
- Contact: bchiu@uchicago.edu
- Graduate Programs: Public Health Sciences, UChicago Biosciences