Departmental Affiliations
Primary
School of Medicine
Primary
Nilanjan Chatterjee, PhD, MS, models disease risk associated with genetic, lifestyle, biomarkers. and other factors, with the goal of improving disease prevention.
Contact Info
615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E3612
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US
301-402-0081
Research Interests
big data; cancer epidemiology and prevention; cancer genetics; epidemiologic study designs; genetic association studies; gene-environment interactions; risk prediction; statistical genetics
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
University of Washington, Seattle
1999
MS
Indian Statistical Institute
1995
Overview
Scientific research
Dr. Chatterjee leads a broad research program in quantitative research that cuts across multiple areas of modern population-based biomedical science including statistical genetics/genomics, precision medicine and big data. The scientific goals of his studies include discovery of new biomarkers, understanding disease mechanisms, characterizing disease risk and developing risk-stratified approaches to disease prevention. He has extensively collaborated in recent genome-wide association studies that have led to identification new cancer susceptibility SNPs, provided characterization of heritability, genetic architecture and gene-environment interaction, and led to better understanding of potential for genetic risk stratification for cancer prevention. Prior to joining Hopkins, Dr. Chatterjee worked at the National Cancer Institute for 16 years and led the Biostatistics Branch of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics during 2008-2015.
Methodologic studies
Dr. Chatterjee identifies important theoretical and methodological problems in statistics from his applied research. Motivated from genome-wide association studies, for example, he has defined novel and robust methods for analyzing genetic associations, and gene-gene/gene-environment interactions. He has provided mathematical characterization of power of polygenic risk prediction models based on underlying genetic architecture of diseases. Outside the realm of statistical genetics, he has long-term interest in developing statistical methodologies for building predictive models combining data from disparate sources. Most recently, he has shown how models can be built based on individual level data from a given study utilizing summary-level information from external big-data sources.
Dr. Chatterjee leads a broad research program in quantitative research that cuts across multiple areas of modern population-based biomedical science including statistical genetics/genomics, precision medicine and big data. The scientific goals of his studies include discovery of new biomarkers, understanding disease mechanisms, characterizing disease risk and developing risk-stratified approaches to disease prevention. He has extensively collaborated in recent genome-wide association studies that have led to identification new cancer susceptibility SNPs, provided characterization of heritability, genetic architecture and gene-environment interaction, and led to better understanding of potential for genetic risk stratification for cancer prevention. Prior to joining Hopkins, Dr. Chatterjee worked at the National Cancer Institute for 16 years and led the Biostatistics Branch of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics during 2008-2015.
Methodologic studies
Dr. Chatterjee identifies important theoretical and methodological problems in statistics from his applied research. Motivated from genome-wide association studies, for example, he has defined novel and robust methods for analyzing genetic associations, and gene-gene/gene-environment interactions. He has provided mathematical characterization of power of polygenic risk prediction models based on underlying genetic architecture of diseases. Outside the realm of statistical genetics, he has long-term interest in developing statistical methodologies for building predictive models combining data from disparate sources. Most recently, he has shown how models can be built based on individual level data from a given study utilizing summary-level information from external big-data sources.
Honors & Awards
Fellow of the American Statistical Association (2008)
Mortimer Spiegelman Award for 2010 from the American Public Health Association (outstanding contribution to public health by a leading statistician in the nation under age 40)
“Estimating effect size distribution from genome-wide association studies and implications for future discoveries. Nat Genet 2010” featured as “leading edge article” in genomics by Cell.
George W. Snedecor Award for 2011 from the Committee of the Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) (for instrumental contribution to theory of Biometry)
Presidents’ Award for 2011 from the Committee of the Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) (for outstanding contribution to statistics by an individual under age 41)
Kwan Chao-Chih Distinguished Lecturer, Chinese Academy of Science, 2012
Elected member of the American Epidemiologic Society (2012)
Myrto Lefkopoulou Distinguished Lecturer (2013), Harvard School of Public Health
Mortimer Spiegelman Award for 2010 from the American Public Health Association (outstanding contribution to public health by a leading statistician in the nation under age 40)
“Estimating effect size distribution from genome-wide association studies and implications for future discoveries. Nat Genet 2010” featured as “leading edge article” in genomics by Cell.
George W. Snedecor Award for 2011 from the Committee of the Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) (for instrumental contribution to theory of Biometry)
Presidents’ Award for 2011 from the Committee of the Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) (for outstanding contribution to statistics by an individual under age 41)
Kwan Chao-Chih Distinguished Lecturer, Chinese Academy of Science, 2012
Elected member of the American Epidemiologic Society (2012)
Myrto Lefkopoulou Distinguished Lecturer (2013), Harvard School of Public Health
Select Publications
Recent selected publications
- 1: Sampson JN, Wheeler WA, Yeager M, Panagiotou O, Wang Z, Berndt SI, Lan Q, Abnet CC, Amundadottir LT, Figueroa JD, Landi MT, Mirabello L, Savage SA, Taylor PR, Vivo ID, McGlynn KA, Purdue MP, Rajaraman P, Adami HO, Ahlbom A, Albanes D, Amary MF, An SJ, Andersson U, Andriole G Jr, Andrulis IL, Angelucci E, Ansell SM, Arici C, Armstrong BK, Arslan AA, Austin MA, Baris D, Barkauskas DA, Bassig BA, Becker N, Benavente Y, Benhamou S, Berg C, Van Den Berg D, Bernstein L, Bertrand KA, Birmann BM, Black A, Boeing H, Boffetta P, Boutron-Ruault MC, Bracci PM, Brinton L, Brooks-Wilson AR, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Burdett L, Buring J, Butler MA, Cai Q, Cancel-Tassin G, Canzian F, Carrato A, Carreon T, Carta A, Chan JK, Chang ET, Chang GC, Chang IS, Chang J, Chang-Claude J, Chen CJ, Chen CY, Chen C, Chen CH, Chen C, Chen H, Chen K, Chen KY, Chen KC, Chen Y, Chen YH, Chen YS, Chen YM, Chien LH, Chirlaque MD, Choi JE, Choi YY, Chow WH, Chung CC, Clavel J, Clavel-Chapelon F, Cocco P, Colt JS, Comperat E, Conde L, Connors JM, Conti D, Cortessis VK, Cotterchio M, Cozen W, Crouch S, Crous-Bou M, Cussenot O, Davis FG, Ding T, Diver WR, Dorronsoro M, Dossus L, Duell EJ, Ennas MG, Erickson RL, Feychting M, Flanagan AM, Foretova L, Fraumeni JF Jr, Freedman ND, Beane Freeman LE, Fuchs C, Gago-Dominguez M, Gallinger S, Gao YT, Gapstur SM, Garcia-Closas M, García-Closas R, Gascoyne RD, Gastier-Foster J, Gaudet MM, Gaziano JM, Giffen C, Giles GG, Giovannucci E, Glimelius B, Goggins M, Gokgoz N, Goldstein AM, Gorlick R, Gross M, Grubb R 3rd, Gu J, Guan P, Gunter M, Guo H, Habermann TM, Haiman CA, Halai D, Hallmans G, Hassan M, Hattinger C, He Q, He X, Helzlsouer K, Henderson B, Henriksson R, Hjalgrim H, Hoffman-Bolton J, Hohensee C, Holford TR, Holly EA, Hong YC, Hoover RN, Horn-Ross PL, Hosain GM, Hosgood HD 3rd, Hsiao CF, Hu N, Hu W, Hu Z, Huang MS, Huerta JM, Hung JY, Hutchinson A, Inskip PD, Jackson RD, Jacobs EJ, Jenab M, Jeon HS, Ji BT, Jin G, Jin L, Johansen C, Johnson A, Jung YJ, Kaaks R, Kamineni A, Kane E, Kang CH, Karagas MR, Kelly RS, Khaw KT, Kim C, Kim HN, Kim JH, Kim JS, Kim YH, Kim YT, Kim YC, Kitahara CM, Klein AP, Klein RJ, Kogevinas M, Kohno T, Kolonel LN, Kooperberg C, Kricker A, Krogh V, Kunitoh H, Kurtz RC, Kweon SS, LaCroix A, Lawrence C, Lecanda F, Lee VH, Li D, Li H, Li J, Li YJ, Li Y, Liao LM, Liebow M, Lightfoot T, Lim WY, Lin CC, Lin D, Lindstrom S, Linet MS, Link BK, Liu C, Liu J, Liu L, Ljungberg B, Lloreta J, Lollo SD, Lu D, Lund E, Malats N, Mannisto S, Marchand LL, Marina N, Masala G, Mastrangelo G, Matsuo K, Maynadie M, McKay J, McKean-Cowdin R, Melbye M, Melin BS, Michaud DS, Mitsudomi T, Monnereau A, Montalvan R, Moore LE, Mortensen LM, Nieters A, North KE, Novak AJ, Oberg AL, Offit K, Oh IJ, Olson SH, Palli D, Pao W, Park IK, Park JY, Park KH, Patiño-Garcia A, Pavanello S, Peeters PH, Perng RP, Peters U, Petersen GM, Picci P, Pike MC, Porru S, Prescott J, Prokunina-Olsson L, Qian B, Qiao YL, Rais M, Riboli E, Riby J, Risch HA, Rizzato C, Rodabough R, Roman E, Roupret M, Ruder AM, Sanjose Sd, Scelo G, Schned A, Schumacher F, Schwartz K, Schwenn M, Scotlandi K, Seow A, Serra C, Serra M, Sesso HD, Setiawan VW, Severi G, Severson RK, Shanafelt TD, Shen H, Shen W, Shin MH, Shiraishi K, Shu XO, Siddiq A, Sierrasesúmaga L, Sihoe AD, Skibola CF, Smith A, Smith MT, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stampfer M, Stern MC, Stevens VL, Stolzenberg-Solomon RS, Su J, Su WC, Sund M, Sung JS, Sung SW, Tan W, Tang W, Tardón A, Thomas D, Thompson CA, Tinker LF, Tirabosco R, Tjønneland A, Travis RC, Trichopoulos D, Tsai FY, Tsai YH, Tucker M, Turner J, Vajdic CM, Vermeulen RC, Villano DJ, Vineis P, Virtamo J, Visvanathan K, Wactawski-Wende J, Wang C, Wang CL, Wang JC, Wang J, Wei F, Weiderpass E, Weiner GJ, Weinstein S, Wentzensen N, White E, Witzig TE, Wolpin BM, Wong MP, Wu C, Wu G, Wu J, Wu T, Wu W, Wu X, Wu YL, Wunder JS, Xiang YB, Xu J, Xu P, Yang PC, Yang TY, Ye Y, Yin Z, Yokota J, Yoon HI, Yu CJ, Yu H, Yu K, Yuan JM, Zelenetz A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhang XC, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Zhao Z, Zheng H, Zheng T, Zheng W, Zhou B, Zhu M, Zucca M, Boca SM, Cerhan JR, Ferri GM, Hartge P, Hsiung CA, Magnani C, Miligi L, Morton LM, Smedby KE, Teras LR, Vijai J, Wang SS, Brennan P, Caporaso NE, Hunter DJ, Kraft P, Rothman N, Silverman DT, Slager SL, Chanock SJ, Chatterjee N. Analysis of Heritability and Shared Heritability Based on Genome-Wide Association Studies for Thirteen Cancer Types. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2015 Oct 12;107(12). pii: djv279. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djv279. Print 2015 Dec. PubMed PMID: 26464424. Sampson JN, Wheeler WA, Yeager M, Panagiotou O, Wang Z, Berndt SI, Lan Q,Abnet CC, Amundadottir LT, Figueroa JD, Landi MT, Mirabello L, Savage SA, Taylor PR, Vivo ID, McGlynn KA, Purdue MP, Rajaraman P, Adami HO, Ahlbom A, Albanes D,Amary MF, An SJ, Andersson U, Andriole G Jr, Andrulis IL, Angelucci E, Ansell SM,Arici C, Armstrong BK, Arslan AA, Austin MA, Baris D, Barkauskas DA, Bassig BA,Becker N, Benavente Y, Benhamou S, Berg C, Van Den Berg D, Bernstein L, Bertrand KA, Birmann BM, Black A, Boeing H, Boffetta P, Boutron-Ruault MC, Bracci PM,Brinton L, Brooks-Wilson AR, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Burdett L, Buring J, ButlerMA, Cai Q, Cancel-Tassin G, Canzian F, Carrato A, Carreon T, Carta A, Chan JK,Chang ET, Chang GC, Chang IS, Chang J, Chang-Claude J, Chen CJ, Chen CY, Chen C, Chen CH, Chen C, Chen H, Chen K, Chen KY, Chen KC, Chen Y, Chen YH, Chen YS, ChenYM, Chien LH, Chirlaque MD, Choi JE, Choi YY, Chow WH, Chung CC, Clavel J,Clavel-Chapelon F, Cocco P, Colt JS, Comperat E, Conde L, Connors JM, Conti D,Cortessis VK, Cotterchio M, Cozen W, Crouch S, Crous-Bou M, Cussenot O, Davis FG,Ding T, Diver WR, Dorronsoro M, Dossus L, Duell EJ, Ennas MG, Erickson RL,Feychting M, Flanagan AM, Foretova L, Fraumeni JF Jr, Freedman ND, Beane Freeman LE, Fuchs C, Gago-Dominguez M, Gallinger S, Gao YT, Gapstur SM, Garcia-Closas M, García-Closas R, Gascoyne RD, Gastier-Foster J, Gaudet MM, Gaziano JM, Giffen C, Giles GG, Giovannucci E, Glimelius B, Goggins M, Gokgoz N, Goldstein AM, Gorlick R, Gross M, Grubb R 3rd, Gu J, Guan P, Gunter M, Guo H, Habermann TM, Haiman CA, Halai D, Hallmans G, Hassan M, Hattinger C, He Q, He X, Helzlsouer K, HendersonB, Henriksson R, Hjalgrim H, Hoffman-Bolton J, Hohensee C, Holford TR, Holly EA, Hong YC, Hoover RN, Horn-Ross PL, Hosain GM, Hosgood HD 3rd, Hsiao CF, Hu N, HuW, Hu Z, Huang MS, Huerta JM, Hung JY, Hutchinson A, Inskip PD, Jackson RD,Jacobs EJ, Jenab M, Jeon HS, Ji BT, Jin G, Jin L, Johansen C, Johnson A, Jung YJ,Kaaks R, Kamineni A, Kane E, Kang CH, Karagas MR, Kelly RS, Khaw KT, Kim C, KimHN, Kim JH, Kim JS, Kim YH, Kim YT, Kim YC, Kitahara CM, Klein AP, Klein RJ,Kogevinas M, Kohno T, Kolonel LN, Kooperberg C, Kricker A, Krogh V, Kunitoh H,Kurtz RC, Kweon SS, LaCroix A, Lawrence C, Lecanda F, Lee VH, Li D, Li H, Li J,Li YJ, Li Y, Liao LM, Liebow M, Lightfoot T, Lim WY, Lin CC, Lin D, Lindstrom S, Linet MS, Link BK, Liu C, Liu J, Liu L, Ljungberg B, Lloreta J, Lollo SD, Lu D,Lund E, Malats N, Mannisto S, Marchand LL, Marina N, Masala G, Mastrangelo G,Matsuo K, Maynadie M, McKay J, McKean-Cowdin R, Melbye M, Melin BS, Michaud DS,Mitsudomi T, Monnereau A, Montalvan R, Moore LE, Mortensen LM, Nieters A, NorthKE, Novak AJ, Oberg AL, Offit K, Oh IJ, Olson SH, Palli D, Pao W, Park IK, ParkJY, Park KH, Patiño-Garcia A, Pavanello S, Peeters PH, Perng RP, Peters U,Petersen GM, Picci P, Pike MC, Porru S, Prescott J, Prokunina-Olsson L, Qian B,Qiao YL, Rais M, Riboli E, Riby J, Risch HA, Rizzato C, Rodabough R, Roman E,Roupret M, Ruder AM, Sanjose Sd, Scelo G, Schned A, Schumacher F, Schwartz K,Schwenn M, Scotlandi K, Seow A, Serra C, Serra M, Sesso HD, Setiawan VW, SeveriG, Severson RK, Shanafelt TD, Shen H, Shen W, Shin MH, Shiraishi K, Shu XO,Siddiq A, Sierrasesúmaga L, Sihoe AD, Skibola CF, Smith A, Smith MT, Southey MC, Spinelli JJ, Staines A, Stampfer M, Stern MC, Stevens VL, Stolzenberg-Solomon RS,Su J, Su WC, Sund M, Sung JS, Sung SW, Tan W, Tang W, Tardón A, Thomas D,Thompson CA, Tinker LF, Tirabosco R, Tjønneland A, Travis RC, Trichopoulos D,Tsai FY, Tsai YH, Tucker M, Turner J, Vajdic CM, Vermeulen RC, Villano DJ, VineisP, Virtamo J, Visvanathan K, Wactawski-Wende J, Wang C, Wang CL, Wang JC, Wang J,Wei F, Weiderpass E, Weiner GJ, Weinstein S, Wentzensen N, White E, Witzig TE,Wolpin BM, Wong MP, Wu C, Wu G, Wu J, Wu T, Wu W, Wu X, Wu YL, Wunder JS, XiangYB, Xu J, Xu P, Yang PC, Yang TY, Ye Y, Yin Z, Yokota J, Yoon HI, Yu CJ, Yu H, YuK, Yuan JM, Zelenetz A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zhang XC, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Zhao Z,Zheng H, Zheng T, Zheng W, Zhou B, Zhu M, Zucca M, Boca SM, Cerhan JR, Ferri GM, Hartge P, Hsiung CA, Magnani C, Miligi L, Morton LM, Smedby KE, Teras LR, VijaiJ, Wang SS, Brennan P, Caporaso NE, Hunter DJ, Kraft P, Rothman N, Silverman DT, Slager SL, Chanock SJ, Chatterjee N. Analysis of Heritability and SharedHeritability Based on Genome-Wide Association Studies for Thirteen Cancer Types. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2015 Oct 12;107(12). pii: djv279. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djv279.Print 2015 Dec. PubMed PMID: 26464424.
- Garcia-Closas M, Burak N, Chatterjee N. Combined association of genetic and environmental risk factors: Implications for prevention of breast cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2014; 106.
- Chatterjee N, Wheeler B, Sampson S, Hartge P, Chanock S and Park J. Projecting the performance of risk prediction from polygenic analyses of genome-wide association studies. Nature Genetics 2013, 45:400-5 Park JH, Gail MH, Greene MH, Chatterjee N. Potential usefulness of single nucleotide polymorphisms to identify persons at high cancer risk: an evaluation of seven common cancer. J Clin Oncol 2012; 20:2157-62.
- Bhattacharjee S, Rajaraman P, Jacobs KB, Wheeler WA, Melin BS, Hartge P; GliomaScan Consortium, Yeager M, Chung CC, Chanock SJ, Chatterjee N. A subset-based approach improves power and interpretation for the combined analysis of genetic association studies of heterogeneous traits. American Journal of Human Genetics 2012; 90:821-35. Park JH, Gail MH, Weinberg CR, Carroll RJ, Chung CC, Wang Z, Chanock SJ, Fraumeni JF Jr, Chatterjee N. Distribution of allele frequencies and effect sizes and their interrelationships for common genetic susceptibility variants. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2011; 108:18026-31.
- Park J, Wacholder S, Gail M, Peters U, Jacobs K, Chanock S, Chatterjee N. Estimating effect size distribution from genome-wide association studies and implications for future discoveries. Nature Genetics 2010; 42:570- Chatterjee N, Sinha S, Diver R, Feigelson, H. Analysis of cohort studies with multivariate, partially observed, disease classification data. Biometrika 2010; 97: 683-698.