Fred K. Tabung, PhD, MSPH

Fred Tabung, PhD, MSPH is an associate professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and a member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James. His research focuses on understanding how diet and metabolism influence cancer risk, progression, treatment response and survivorship.

Dr. Tabung leads the Diet, Metabolism, and Cancer Prevention Outcomes Lab, which investigates how diet-related metabolic imbalances, particularly obesity and Type 2 diabetes, contribute to cancer development and outcomes. His research seeks to identify dietary patterns that reduce chronic inflammation and improve metabolic health, and to understand the biological mechanisms through which these factors affect cancer.

His laboratory follows a Population Science and Data Integration (PSDI) model that combines large-scale population studies, clinical research and translational science. This integrated approach allows his team to examine how dietary patterns influence cancer risk at the population level while also investigating their effects on biological processes within individuals. Findings from this work inform the development of practical dietary interventions aimed at improving cancer prevention and patient outcomes.

Dr. Tabung is an American Cancer Society Research Scholar and serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), where he chairs the subcommittee on global cancer research. He also serves on the Mechanisms Expert Committee of the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. His work has been published in leading journals, including Nature Medicine, JAMA Oncology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Gastroenterology, and Diabetes Care, and has contributed significantly to advancing the science of diet and cancer prevention.

Cancer prevention, role of nutrition in modifying cancer risk and treatment response