Jennifer Rider

Low vitamin D levels in blood have been shown in numerous population-based studies to correlate with prostate cancer mortality. Also, several genetic alterations in the vitamin-D pathway-related genes have been shown to be associated with a risk of death from prostate cancer.
Dr. Rider’s studies will investigate a link between vitamin D levels, lethal prostate cancer and the presence of prostatic infection.
These investigations should contribute to an understanding of the etiology of the lethal form of prostate cancer.

What this means for patients: The outcomes of this research will help stratify patient risk for lethal prostate cancer.

2013 Michael & Lori Milken-PCF Young Investigator

Harvard School of Public Health

Lorelei Mucci, ScD and Myles Brown, MD

The immunomodulatory and androgen-associated actions of vitamin D in prostate cancer