Roxana Moslehi

Research Interests

The overall objectives of my research studies are to identify genetic and environmental determinants of complex disorders and to quantify their effects. I have expertise in designing family-based and population-based genetic epidemiologic investigations and in statistical analysis of genetic and epidemiologic data. As part of my studies, I have also conducted genetic counseling for hereditary cancer susceptibility. The methodologies currently employed in my laboratory include family studies, case-control studies, analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), candidate-gene and whole-genome linkage analyses, and gene expression (gene chip) array and transcriptome analyses. Various malignant and pre-malignant conditions have been the focus of my research. I have been studying cancer risks associated with mutations in the DNA repair genes for a number of years. Based on recent clinical observations, I also initiated several studies to gain insight into the biologic mechanisms which underlie the association between DNA repair and transcription gene abnormalities in the fetus and increased risk of gestational complications.

More recently, through an NIH R21 grant (PI: R. Moslehi), I initiated a molecular epidemiologic investigation of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to explore genetic and immunologic links between ME/CFS, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. I have also obtained two recent intramural NIH grants to conduct whole-genome sequencing and RNA-Seq analyses to identify genes involved in the etiology of ME/CFS.

Learn more about my work in this recent news spotlight.

Affiliations

• UAlbany's Cancer Research Center

Courses taught

• “Genetic Epidemiology” (EPI 624)
• "AIDS Epidemiology" (EPI 610)
• "Molecular Epidemiology" (EPI 606)
• "Infectious Disease Epidemiology" (EPI 605)
• “Cancer Epidemiology” (EPI 604)
• “Masters Seminars in Epidemiology” (EPI 602)
• “Molecular Epidemiology” (EPI 512)
• "Principles of Public Health" (EPI 503)
• “Principles and Methods of Epidemiology II” (EPI 502)
• "Principles and Methods of Epidemiology I" (EPI 501)
• "Basic Principles and Methods of Epidemiology" (EPI 500)
• "From Cholera to Cancer: History, Challenges, and Achievements in Public Health" (SPH 202)

Select publications (10 out of more than 100 published peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts)

1. Moslehi R, Dzutsev A. Pedigree and multi-omics analyses implicate nucleotide excision repair genes, XPA, ERCC6, and ERCC8, in susceptibility to breast cancer. AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: DNA Damage Repair: From Basic Science to Future Clinical Application, January 2024

    

2. Moslehi R, Kumar A, Bhanushali A, Tracy M, Dzutsev A. Multidimensional analyses of pedigree, epidemiologic, and molecular data identify risk and perceived causative factors for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, November 2023

    

3. Moslehi R, Kumar A, Dzutsev A. Increased risks of cancer and autoimmune disease among the first-degree relatives of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) / chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Cancer Research 2022; 82(12-Supplement): 34

    

4. Moslehi R, Stagnar C, Srinivasan S, Radziszowski P, and Carpenter D. The Possible Role of Arsenic and Gene-Arsenic Interactions in Susceptibility to Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.  Reviews on Environmental Health 2021; 36(4): 523–534 

    

5. Moslehi R, Tsao H-S, Zeinomar, N, Stagnar C, Fitzpatrick S, and Dzutsev A. Integrative Genomic Analysis Implicates ERCC6 and its Interaction with ERCC8 in Susceptibility to Breast Cancer. Scientific Reports 2020; 10: 21276 

    

6. Moslehi R, Zeinomar N, Boscoe FP. Incidence of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma in Iranian Provinces and American States Matched on Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure: An Ecologic Study. Environmental Pollution 2018; 234:699-706 

    

7. Kempin S, Finger PT, Gale RP, Rescigno J, Rubin J, Choi W, Roberts E, Fisher R, Aizman A, Genis I, Stephen C. Malamud, and Moslehi R. A Cluster of Vitreoretinal Lymphoma in New York with Possible Link to the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Leukemia and Lymphoma 2018;59(8):1998-2001 

    

8. Moslehi R, Freedman E, Zeinomar N, Veneroso C, and Levine PH. Importance of Hereditary and Selected Environmental Risk Factors in the Etiology of Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Case-Comparison Study. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:334  

    

9. Moslehi R, Ambroggio X, Nagarajan V, Kumar A, and Dzutsev A. Nucleotide Excision Repair/Transcription Gene Defects in the Fetus and Impaired TFIIH-Mediated Function in Transcription in Placenta Leading to Preeclampsia. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:373

    

10. Moslehi R, Mills JL, Signore C, Kumar A, Ambroggio X and Dzutsev A. Integrative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Dysregulation of Canonical Cancer Molecular Pathways in Placenta Leading to Preeclampsia. Scientific Reports 2013; 3:2407