Libby M. Morimoto, Ph.D.

Dr. Morimoto has 9 years experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of cohort and case-control epidemiologic studies. Much of her research experience has involved hormonally related cancers, in which she has evaluated the roles of hormone replacement therapy, obesity, smoking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, and other lifestyle and environmental factors. With a main focus on molecular and genetic epidemiology, Dr. Morimoto has sought to identify molecular markers to target susceptible subpopulations for prevention, screening, and treatment and to elucidate complex biologic pathways. In addition, she has published in the areas of screening efficacy and epidemiologic methods.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Morimoto was involved in several interdisciplinary projects of cancer etiology and survival at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Specific examples include a clinic-based study to compare the malignant potential of hyperplastic and adenomatous colorectal polyps; a large registry of colorectal cancer cases, family members, and population-controls to study the genetic epidemiology of colorectal cancer; and a cohort study of 18,000 breast cancer cases to assess the epidemiologic and genetic factors associated with survival and risk of second primary tumors.

Dr. Morimoto has experience in manipulating large databases of epidemiologic and genetic information. She has familiarity with several laboratory techniques used in molecular epidemiologic studies, including DNA extraction, high throughput genotyping, measures of plasma circulating biochemical molecules (hormones, lipids, growth factors, proteins), assessments of epigenetic characteristics (methylation of CpG island promoter regions, microsatellite instability), and assays of tissue protein expression (immunohistochemistry). In addition to epidemiologic methods and biostatistics, she also has training in molecular and cell biology, pathology, pharmacoepidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology.

Kelsh MA, Fordyce TA, Lau E, Mink P, Morimoto L, Lu ET, Yager JW. Factors that distinguish serious versus less severe strain and sprain injuries: An analysis of electric utility workers. Am J Indust Med, in press.

Newcomb PA, Zheng Y, Chia VM, Morimoto LM, Doria-Rose VP, Templeton A, Thibodeau SN, Potter JD. Estrogen plus progestin use, microsatellite instability, and the risk of colorectal cancer in women. Cancer Res 2007; 67(15):7534–7539.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Hampton JM, Trentham-Dietz A. Cholecystectomy and endometrial cancer—a marker of high estrogen exposure? Int J Gynecol Cancer 2006; 16(3):1348–1353.

Chia VM, Newcomb PA, Bigler J, Morimoto LM, Thidodeau SN, Potter JD. Risk of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer is associated jointly with smoking and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. Cancer Res 2006; 66(13):6877–6883.

Doria-Rose VP, Newcomb PA, Hampton JM, Morimoto LM, Trentham-Dietz A. Body mass index and the risk of death following the diagnosis of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women. Cancer Causes Control 2006; 17:63-70.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, White E, Bigler J, Potter JD. Variation in plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3: personal and lifestyle factors. Cancer Causes Control 2005; 16(8):917-927.

Chien C, Morimoto LM, Tom J, Li CI. Differences in colorectal cancer stage and survival by race and ethnicity. Cancer 2005; 104:629–639.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Bigler J, White E, Potter JD. Variation in plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3: genetic factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2005; 14(6):1394-1401.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Bigler J, Potter JD. IGF polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2005; 14(5):1204-1211.

Newcomb PA, Storer BE, Morimoto LM, Templeton A, Potter JD. Long-term efficacy of sigmoidoscopy in the reduction of colorectal cancer incidence. J Natl Cancer Inst 2003; 95(8):622-625.

Morimoto LM, White E, Newcomb PA. Selection bias in the assessment of gene-environment interaction in case-control studies. Am J Epidemiol 2003; 158(3):259-263.

Potter JD, Goode E, Morimoto LM. Meeting Report. AACR Special Conference: The Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology of Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2003; 12(8):803-805.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Ulrich CM, Bostick RM, Potter JD. Risk factors for hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps: evidence for malignant potential? Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2002; 11(10):1012-1018.

Morimoto LM, White E, Chen Z, Chlebowski RT, Hays J, Kuller L, Lopez AM, Manson J, Margolis KL, Muti PC, Stefanick ML, McTiernan A. Obesity, body size, and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer: the Women’s Health Initiative. Cancer Causes Control 2002; 13(8):741-751.

Published Abstracts of Presentations

Chia VM, Newcomb PA, Hampton J, Morimoto L, Doria-Rose P, Trentham-Dietz A. Postmenopausal hormone use in relation to survival from colorectal cancer. AACR Special Conference: New Developments in the Epidemiology of Cancer Prognosis: Traditional and Molecular Predictors of Treatment Response and Therapy, Charleston, SC, 2006.

Morimoto LM, Li CI, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton J, Newcomb PA. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of mortality from invasive breast cancer by histologic type and stage. American Society of Preventive Oncology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2005.

Chia VM, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton J, McElroy J, Morimoto L, Newcomb P. Calcium supplements and breast cancer risk. American Society for Preventive Oncology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2005.

Chia V, Newcomb P, Hampton J, Morimoto L, Trentham-Dietz A. Obesity, postmenopausal hormone use, and mortality following endometrial cancer diagnosis. American Society for Preventive Oncology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA 2005.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Chia VM, Templeton AS, Potter JD. Agreement to provide a blood or buccal biospecimen sample. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, 2004.

Chia VM, Newcomb PA, Morimoto LM, Yaziji H, Gown AM, Potter JD. ER-α, ER-β, and postmenopausal hormones in colorectal cancer. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, 2004.

Doria-Rose VP, Hampton JM, Trentham-Dietz A, Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA. Body mass index and mortality following colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 2004;159(11 Suppl):270.

Chia VM, Newcomb PA, Morimoto LM, Mandelson MT, Potter JD. Calcium, NSAIDs, and colorectal polyps. Frontiers in Cancer Prevention, AACR International Conference, Seattle, WA, 2004.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Bigler J, White E, Potter JD. Environmental and genetic determinants of plasma IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology of Cancer, AACR International Conference, Waikoloa, HI, 2003.
Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Bigler J, Potter JD. Polymorphisms in IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and risk of colorectal cancer. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., 2003.

Chia VM, Newcomb PA, Morimoto LM, Potter JD. Evidence for an interaction between NSAIDs and smoking in colorectal cancer incidence. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., 2003.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Mandelson M, Chia V, Doria-Rose P, Bush A, Potter JD. Smoking and NSAID use in relation to hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps of the colorectum. Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, AACR International Conference, Phoenix, AZ, 2003.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Ulrich CM, Bostick RM, Potter JD. Risk factors for hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps: Evidence for malignant potential? American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2002.

Bigler J, Newcomb PA, Morimoto LM, Mandelson M. Is JCV associated with colorectal cancer? American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2002.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton J. Cholecystectomy and risk of endometrial cancer. Society for Epidemiologic Research Meeting, Palm Desert, CA, 2002.

Morimoto LM, Newcomb PA, Potter JD. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, HRT use, and colon cancer risk. Society for Epidemiologic Research Meeting, Palm Desert, CA, 2002.

Morimoto LM, White E, Lopez AM, Manson J, Margolis K, Muti P, Stefanick M. Anthropometrics and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: The Women’s Health Initiative. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 2001.

McTiernan A, Kooperberg C, White E, Adams-Campbell L, Coates R, Morimoto L, Ockene J, Wilcox S, Woods N. Risk of breast cancer associated with physical activity in older women. Society for Epidemiologic Research Meeting, Seattle, WA, 2000.

Book Chapters

Morimoto LM and Kelsh MA. Biomarkers. In: Encyclopedia of Epidemiology 2007 Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, in press.

• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 2004-2006
• Predoctoral Research Associate, Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 2000-2003
• Research Assistant, Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1998-2000
  

• American Association for Cancer Research—AACR (associate member)