Professors of Epidemiology,

ow nloaded from Classical epidemiologic studies have made seminal contributions to identifying the etiology of most common cancers. Molecular epidemiology was conceived of as an extension of traditional epidemiology to incorporate biomarkers with questionnaire data to further our understanding of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Early molecular epidemiologic studies employed functional assays. These studies were hampered by the need for sequential and/or pre-diagnostic samples, viable lymphocytes, and the uncertainty of how well these functional data (derived from surrogate lymphocytic tissue) reflected events in the target tissue. The completion of the Human Genome Project and Hapmap Project, together with the unparalleled advances in high throughput genotyping revolutionized the practice of molecular epidemiology.. Early studies had been constrained by existing technology to use the hypothesis-driven candidate gene, with disappointing results. Pathway analysis addressed some of the concerns, although th