# DNA Repair Phenotype the Missing Link in Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

> **NIH NIH U01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $114,430

## Abstract

This application is for a Research Supplement to promote diversity in health related research, specifically to
support Dr. Hazeem Okunola in the postdoctoral research phase of his training, with the ultimate goal of his
becoming an independent and productive environmental health researcher. In this application 1) The Parent
Grant is briefly summarized; 2) Dr. Okunola's proposed activities within the Parent Grant are described, which
will enhance the research in the grant while remaining within its approved Specific Aims; and 3) a Training and
Mentoring Plan is described, specifically tailored for Dr. Okunola, designed to provide him with the skills that
are needed for him to become an independent and productive environmental health researcher.
In Aim 1A of the Parent Grant a large prospective cohort study is being undertaken using frozen blood samples
from individuals from the Breast Cancer Prospective Family Study Cohort (ProF-SC), to assess the potential
association between phenotypically characterized DNA Repair Capacity (DRC) and Breast Cancer (BC) risk.
Dr. Okunola will be responsible for two significant enhancements of the current parent grant: 1. Beyond
PBMCs: Probing person-to-person variations in DNA repair capacity in PBMC subtypes. In summary, using our
current protocols we will not know if inter-individual differences in DNA repair capacity derive uniformly from all
the PBMC subtypes or predominantly from specific PBMC subtypes. Dr. Okunola's proposed studies should
allow a definitive answer to this question. 2. Looking to the Future: Generating cell lines from blood samples
that show either diminished or enhanced DNA repair capacity. Here the goal is for Dr. Okunola to establish
immortalized cell lines from PBMC samples from the individuals with the highest / lowest levels of DNA repair
capacities. No such set of cell lines defined by anomalous DRC currently exist, and it is anticipated that they
will become a valuable resource for future mechanistically based studies, both in our group and worldwide.
The key aspect of this Supplement will be training and Mentoring Dr. Okunola to become an independent
productive investigator who will make a significant long-term contribution in environmental-health-related
biomedical research. The Parent Grant is a highly multidisciplinary project and Dr. Okunola will interact with
faculty representing epidemiology, DNA damage / repair, biomarkers, and biostatistical modeling. Dr.
Okunola's will participate in a customized structured postdoctoral training program focusing on environmental
health policy, professionalism, leadership and management, communication, career management, and
responsible conduct of research. It will consist of multiple distinct series and minicourses that together will
enable him to gain insights into available career development options, to engage in training / education
activities focused on his preferred career track, to adhere to professional ethical codes of conduct, to ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10090052
- **Project number:** 3U01ES029660-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID JONATHAN BRENNER
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $114,430
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10090052

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10090052, DNA Repair Phenotype the Missing Link in Breast Cancer Risk Assessment (3U01ES029660-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10090052. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*