The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) has created the DCP Early Career Scientist Spotlight Research Seminar Series to highlight nominated early career scientists who are advancing research within the areas supported by DCP. The overall goal of this ongoing seminar series is to increase visibility and provide recognition to these DCP Early Career Scientists.
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Key information
- Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
- Time: 11:00am EDT to 12:00pm EDT
- Location: Virtual via WebEx
Registration Information
Registration is required.
Speakers
Mechanisms that Link Diet and Aging in Driving Intestinal Cancer Risk
Jiahn Choi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Biography
Our research centers on understanding how intestinal stem cells and their surrounding niche adapt to environmental stressors—such as aging and diet—and how these adaptations influence tissue homeostasis, inflammation, and cancer risk. Our work integrates single-cell omics, in vivo imaging, and functional genomics to uncover how stem cell plasticity and niche interactions are reprogrammed in response to modifiable risk factors, including a Western-style diet. We have demonstrated that Western-style diet reshapes intestinal homeostasis by altering the primary stem cell population, thereby remodeling lineage differentiation and contributing to a pro-tumorigenic state. Building on these findings, our ongoing research aims to deconvolve the mechanisms by which cellular adaptation contributes to pathogenesis, including cancer.
By defining the mechanisms underlying mucosal remodeling and pathogenesis, our goal is to develop preventive strategies that preserve epithelial integrity and reduce the risk of diet- and age-associated diseases.
Developing and Testing Integrative Therapies for Cancer Symptom Management
Kevin T. Liou, MD
Assistant Attending, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Biography
Kevin Liou is an integrative medicine specialist, licensed acupuncturist, and assistant attending physician at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). He obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees from Brown University. He completed his internal medicine residency at Weill Cornell Medicine, followed by an integrative oncology research fellowship at MSK. He is the principal investigator on several clinical trials investigating acupuncture and music therapy for cancer symptom management. His research has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Gabrielle's Angel Foundation, the Chanel Endowment for Survivorship Research, and MSK's Division of Subspecialty Medicine. He is also the director of MSK's integrative medicine fellowship program.