Ashley Felix, PhD
Associate Professor
Epidemiology
“What I love most about epidemiology is that we use data to make an impact in the lives of people who need it the most. In my work as a cancer epidemiologist, I focus on understanding why cancer health disparities exist so that we can provide data-informed solutions to reduce the unequal burden. I also work to understand the larger context that creates racial disparities in cancer occurrence and outcomes, which is a unique part of public health. Our goal is to create healthier environments so that people can live their best lives.”
Biography
Dr. Felix is a cancer epidemiologist with strong interests in the molecular epidemiology of gynecologic malignancies. Specifically, Dr. Felix’s research activities include refining risk factors associations for heterogeneous endometrial cancer subtypes, investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie these relationships, and identifying modifiable factors that can improve prognosis among endometrial cancer patients. Her work has specifically focused on women diagnosed with clinically aggressive endometrial tumors, which represent a diverse and understudied group of tumors, characterized by racial disparities.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention
- National Cancer Institute, 2011-2015
- PhD
- Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 2007-2011
- MPH
- Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 2005-2007
- BA
- Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2001-2005
Research interests
Cancer epidemiology; women’s health; racial disparities; molecular epidemiology; screening and early detection
Luo J, Chlebowski RT, Hendryx M, Rohan T, Wactawski-Wende J, Thomson CA, Felix AS, Chen C, Barrington W, Coday M, Stefanick M, LeBlanc E, Margolis KL. Intentional Weight Loss and Endometrial Cancer Risk. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Apr 10;35(11):1189-1193. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2016.70.5822. Epub 2017 Feb 6.
Brasky TM, Felix AS, Cohn DE, McMeekin DS, Mutch DG, Creasman WT, Thaker PH, Walker JL, Moore RG, Lele SB, Guntupalli SR, Downs LS, Nagel CI, Boggess JF, Pearl ML, Ioffe OB, Park KJ, Ali S, Brinton LA. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Endometrial Carcinoma Mortality and Recurrence. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017 Mar 1;109(3):1-10. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djw251.
Suarez AA, Felix AS, Cohn DE. Bokhman Redux: Endometrial cancer "types" in the 21st century. Gynecol Oncol. 2017 Feb;144(2):243-249. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.12.010. Epub 2016 Dec 16.
Felix AS, Bower JK, Pfeiffer RM, Raman SV, Cohn DE, Sherman ME. High cardiovascular disease mortality after endometrial cancer diagnosis: Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database. Int J Cancer. 2017 Feb 1;140(3):555-564. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30470. Epub 2016 Nov 14.
Felix AS, Yang HP, Bell DW, Sherman ME. Epidemiology of Endometrial Carcinoma: Etiologic Importance of Hormonal and Metabolic Influences. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;943:3-46.
Felix AS, Lenz P, Pfeiffer RM, Hewitt SM, Morris J, Patel DA, Geller B, Vacek PM, Weaver DL, Chicoine RE, Shepherd J, Mahmoudzadeh AP, Wang J, Fan B, Malkov S, Herschorn SD, Johnson JM, Cora RL, Brinton LA, Sherman ME, Gierach GL. Relationships between mammographic density, tissue microvessel density, and breast biopsy diagnosis. Breast Cancer Res. 2016 Aug 23;18(1):88. doi: 10.1186/s13058-016-0746-9.
Brinton LA, Trabert B, Anderson GL, Falk RT, Felix AS, Fuhrman BJ, Gass ML, Kuller LH, Pfeiffer RM, Rohan TE, Strickler HD, Xu X, Wentzensen N. Serum Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolites and Endometrial Cancer Risk among Postmenopausal Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2016 Jul;25(7):1081-9. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-16-0225. Epub 2016 Apr 12.
Felix AS, McMeekin DS, Creasman WT, Mutch D, Cohn DE, Ali SA, Walker JL, Moore RG, Downs LS, Ioffe OB, Park KJ, Sherman ME, Brinton LA. Associations between etiologic factors and mortality after an endometrial cancer diagnosis in the NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group 210 Trial. Gyn Onc 2015; In Press
Felix AS, Brinton LA, McMeekin DS, Creasman WT, Mutch D, Cohn DE, Walker JL, Moore RG, Downs LS, Soslow RA, Zaino R, Sherman ME. Relationships of tubal ligation to endometrial cancer stage and mortality in the NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group 210 Trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 2015;107(9).
Felix AS, Sherman ME, Hewitt SM, Gunja MZ, Yang HP, Cora RL, Boudreau V, Ylaya K, Lissowska J, Brinton LA, Wentzensen N. Cell-cycle protein expression in a population-based study of ovarian and endometrial cancers. Front Oncol. 2015;5:25
Felix AS, Gaudet MM, La Vecchia C, Nagle CM, Shu XO, Weiderpass E, Adami HO, Beresford S, Bernstein L, Chen C, Cook LS, De Vivo I, Doherty JA, Friedenreich CM, Gapstur SM, Hill D, Horn-Ross PL, Lacey JV, Levi F, Liang X, Lu L, Magliocco A, McCann SE, Negri E, Olson SH, Palmer JR, Patel AV, Petruzella S, Prescott J, Risch HA, Rosenberg L, Sherman ME, Spurdle AB, Webb PM, Wise LA Xiang YB, Xu W, Yang HP, Yu H, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Brinton LA. Intrauterine devices and endometrial cancer risk: a pooled analysis of the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium. Int J Cancer. 2015;136(5):E410-22.
Felix AS, Weissfeld JL, Pfeiffer RM, Modugno F, Black A, Hill LM, Martin J, Sit AS, Sherman ME, Brinton LA. Endometrial thickness and risk of breast and endometrial carcinomas in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Int J Cancer 2014;134:954-60.
Brinton LA, Felix AS. Menopausal hormone therapy and risk of endometrial cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2014;142:83-9.
Brinton LA, Felix AS, McMeekin DS, Creasman WT, Sherman ME, Mutch D, Cohn DE, Walker JL, Moore RG, Downs LS, Soslow RA, Zaino R. Etiologic heterogeneity in endometrial cancer: evidence from a Gynecologic Oncology Group Trial. Gynecol Oncol 2013;129:277-84.
Felix AS, Cook LS, Gaudet MM, Rohan TE, Schouten LJ, Setiawan VW, Wise LA, Anderson KE, Bernstein L, De Vivo I, Friedenreich CM, Gapstur SM, Goldbohm RA, Henderson B, Horn-Ross PL, Kolonel L, Lacey JV, Liang X, Lissowska J, Magliocco A, McCullough ML, Miller AB, Olson SH, Palmer JR, Park Y, Patel AV, Prescott J, Rastogi R, Robien K, Rosenberg L, Schairer C, Ou Shu X, van den Brandt PA, Virkus RA, Wentzensen N, Xiang YB, Xu WH, Yang HP, Brinton LA. The etiology of uterine sarcomas: a pooled analysis of the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium. Br J Cancer 2013;108:727-34.
Felix AS, Edwards RP, Stone RA, Chivukula M, Parwani AV, Bowser R, Linkov F, Weissfeld JL. Associations between hepatocyte growth factor, c-Met, and basic fibroblast growth factor and survival in endometrial cancer patients. Br J Cancer 2012;106:2004-9.
Felix AS, Stone RA, Chivukula M, Bowser R, Parwani AV, Linkov F, Edwards RP, Weissfeld JL. Survival outcomes in endometrial cancer patients are associated with CXCL12 and estrogen receptor expression. Int J Cancer 2012;131:E114-21.