Shannon Sullivan
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Credentials
PhD, MPH
Bio
Dr. Sullivan is a faculty investigator at the Advanced Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ARDL) and Member of the Masonic Cancer Center. Her academic journey reflects a deep commitment to scientific excellence and public health.
Dr. Sullivan earned an MS degree in organic chemistry from Georgia State University. She further honed her expertise by pursuing an MPH degree in environmental health, and later, a PhD in occupational and environmental epidemiology, both from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research focused on content expertise in statistical genomic methods to identify genetic contributions to adult and pediatric cancer etiology.
Prior to her doctoral program, Dr. Sullivan demonstrated her versatile talents as a research and development chemist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There, she garnered training as an analytical chemist and led pivotal projects centered on developing novel methods to quantify a wide array of environmental exposures, including radiation exposure and/or contamination and toxic metal exposure. Dr. Sullivan joined LMP in molecular epidemiology in June 2023.
Research Summary
Dr. Sullivan's research lies at the intersection of environmental and molecular epidemiology, where she adeptly combines laboratory science and epidemiologic techniques to unravel the complexities of human health and disease. Her work is dedicated to understanding the intricate interplay between social determinants of health, genetics, and environmental risk factors, with a particular emphasis on trace and toxic metal biomarkers and tobacco exposure. Through her endeavors, she seeks to illuminate the underlying mechanisms driving cancer etiology and disparities.
Her research program is multifaceted, encompassing three distinct yet synergistic areas that collectively contribute to unraveling the nexus of environmental and genetic influences on human well-being:
- Innovative Exposure Assessment Methods:
Dr. Sullivan pioneers the development of novel methodologies for assessing environmental exposures. By devising cutting-edge techniques, she empowers the scientific community to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of various environmental factors on health outcomes.
- Biomarkers for Risk Evaluation:
Central to her research is the utilization of biomarkers as tools to evaluate environmental exposures' risk implications. Dr. Sullivan's expertise in identifying and analyzing trace and toxic metal biomarkers offers crucial insights into how these exposures affect human health and potentially contribute to disease development.
- Statistical Genetic Analysis:
Harnessing advanced statistical methods, Dr. Sullivan investigates the role of genetic variation in shaping inter-individual differences that influence susceptibility to diseases. Her approach sheds light on the intricate genetic factors that underlie the variation in disease outcomes among individuals.
Collectively, these three areas intertwine to form a comprehensive research portfolio that empowers our understanding of how genetics, environment, and societal factors collectively contribute to health disparities and disease onset and outcomes. Her commitment to bridging laboratory science and epidemiology exemplifies her dedication to advancing both scientific knowledge and public health outcomes.
Publications
Sullivan SM, Cole B, Lane J, Meredith JJ, Langer E, Hooten AJ, Roesler M, McGraw KL, Pankratz N, Poynter JN. Predicted leukocyte telomere length and risk of myeloid neoplasms. Hum Mol Genet. 2023 Aug 2:ddad126. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddad126.
Cigan SS, Murphy SE, Patel Y, Stram DO, Le Marchand L, Hecht SS, Stepanov I, and Park SL. Association of urinary biomarkers of tobacco toxicants with lung cancer incidence in smokers: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 Mar 6;32(3):306-314. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0569
Cigan SS, Meredith JJ, Kelley AC, Langer EK, Hooten AJ, Lane J, Cole BR, Krailo M, Frazier, LA, Pankratz N and Poynter JN. Predicted leukocyte telomere length and risk of germ cell tumors. British Journal of Cancer. 2022 Apr 2. DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01798-3.
Cigan SS, Murphy SE, Alexander BH, Stram DO, Hatsukami DK, Le Marchand L, Park SL, and Stepanov, I. Ethnic differences of urinary cadmium in cigarette smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 6;18(5):2669. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052669.