Brittany Jenkins-Lord Lab
Investigating the interplay between molecular, genetic, environmental, and social contributors to cancer risk in diverse populations
About the Jenkins-Lord Lab
The Jenkins-Lord Laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular consequences of breast cancer disparities in African American women, specifically how social and environmental risk factors interplay to impact cancer biology and promote more aggressive tumor subtypes. This is accomplished through multiple fields of study, including molecular, genetic, and epidemiological techniques, considering the multifaceted nature of cancer disparities. We have a special interest in characterizing how the immune microenvironment and gene expression are modulated in breast cancer based on this increased socio-environmental risk. The Jenkins-Lord Lab values diversity and inclusion in all forms, from the research we perform to the members of our lab. We welcome a variety of thoughts, experiences, and perspectives, as this is what makes our lab unique.
Research Overview
The Jenkins-Lord Lab has several research projects currently underway to better understand how social determinants and our environments directly impact tumor biology and lead to adverse survival outcomes for populations of African descent.
We have an interest in differences in gene expression and methylation as they relate to social and environmental risk and cancer outcomes. Our previous data published in JAMA Open Network highlighted associations between tumor suppressor genes and neighborhood deprivation measures in women with breast cancer, including differences by racial group. We are expanding on these findings using a more targeted approach as they relate to these tumor suppressors, specifically investigating protein differences in these markers by racial group and neighborhood deprivation, as well as identifying any potentially relevant ancestrally informative genetic variants in these genes and their association with social and environmental risk factors for cancer.
Additionally, we are generating new data on social and environmental risk, including how racism and discrimination, environmental pollution, neighborhood deprivation, and other social factors directly influence the molecular biology of tumors for women of African ancestry. This collaborative and multifaceted study approach will generate novel data on how where we live and what we experience daily in our environments impacts our risk for cancer, and how this may differ between populations groups in the U.S.
Neighborhoods, Methylation, and Cancer
Despite declines in breast cancer mortality, disparities remain. Brittany Jenkins-Lord and colleagues examined the connections between neighborhood deprivation and DNA methylation associated with breast cancer using a cross-sectional study of breast cancer tissue samples and neighborhood deprivation index data. They found an association between high neighborhood deprivation rates and epigenetic changes to cancer-associated genes for Black breast cancer patients, and that these changes are associated with more aggressive forms of the disease. These findings support the need for public health programs and policies that address cancer risk at the neighborhood level to combat disparities that put minoritized populations at higher risk for poor cancer outcomes, and point to the need for more research examining the associations of molecular-level biology and socioeconomic risk factors.
Neighborhood Deprivation and DNA Methylation and Expression of Cancer Genes in Breast Tumors, Jenkins BD, Rossi E, Pichardo C, Wooten W, Pichardo M, Tang W, Dorsey TH, Ajao A, Hutchison R, Moubadder L, McCullough LE, Bailey-Whyte M, Ambs S, JAMA Network Open, 2023.
Selected Publications
Jenkins BD, Rossi E, Pichardo C, Wooten W, Pichardo M, Tang W, Dorsey TH, Ajao A, Hutchison R, Moubadder L, McCullough LE, Bailey-Whyte M, Ambs S. Neighborhood Deprivation and DNA Methylation and Expression of Cancer Genes in Breast Tumors. JAMA Network Open, 2023.
Lord BD, Harris AR, Ambs S. The impact of social and environmental factors on cancer biology in Black Americans. Cancer Causes and Control, 2023.
Davis Lynn BC, Lord BD, Cora R, Pfeiffer RM, Lawrence S, Zirpoli G, Bethea TN, Palmer JR, Gierach GL. Associations between quantitative measures of TDLU involution and breast tumor molecular subtypes among breast cancer cases in the Black Women's Health Study: a case-case analysis. Breast Cancer Research, 2022.
Martini R, Delpe P, Chu TR, Arora K, Lord B, Verma A, Bedi D, Karanam B, Elhussin I, Chen Y, Gebregzabher E, Oppong JK, Adjei EK, Jibril Suleiman A, Awuah B, Muleta MB, Abebe E, Kyei I, Aitpillah FS, Adinku MO, Ankomah K, Osei-Bonsu EB, Chitale DA, Bensenhaver JM, Nathanson DS, Jackson L, Petersen LF, Proctor E, Stonaker B, Gyan KK, Gibbs LD, Monojlovic Z, Kittles RA, White J, Yates CC, Manne U, Gardner K, Mongan N, Cheng E, Ginter P, Hoda S, Elemento O, Robine N, Sboner A, Carpten JD, Newman L, Davis MB. African Ancestry-Associated Gene Expression Profiles in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Underlie Altered Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcome in Women of African Descent. Cancer Discovery, 2022.
Lord BD, Martini RN, Davis MB. Understanding how genetic ancestry may influence cancer development. Trends in Cancer, 2022.
How to Join the Jenkins-Lord Lab
Jenkins-Lord Lab members join us through different pathways. Common ways to join the lab are below.
PhD Students
The Jenkins-Lord Lab is part of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program at Johns Hopkins University, which provides full tuition and stipend support.
Master's Students
The Jenkins-Lord Lab takes students from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Master of Health Science and Master of Science program, as well as the Master of Public Health program.
Undergraduate Students
The Jenkins-Lord Lab hosts undergraduates from a variety of programs. If you are interested in joining the Jenkins-Lord Lab as an undergraduate, please contact Brittany Jenkins-Lord by email.
Postdoctoral Fellows
To apply to work as a postdoctoral fellow in the Jenkins-Lord Lab, please email Brittany Jenkins-Lord with your most recent CV and motivation for joining. In addition to training within our lab, the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department has an active postdoctoral training program.