Principal Investigator
Brock C. Christensen, Ph.D.
Professor of Epidemiology and of Molecular and Systems Biology
Co-Director, Cancer Population Sciences Research Program | NCCC
Dr. Christensen received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Medical Microbiology & Immunology and French, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Biological Sciences in Public Health. He trained as a postdoctoral research associate in molecular epidemiology of cancer at Brown University in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Christensen joined the faculty at Dartmouth in 2011.
Graduate Students
Sarah (Minkyung) Lee, B.S.
Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, 2018 - Present
Baruch College, City University of New York, B.S. 2018
During my undergraduate studies as an environmental pharmacology ad hoc major, I developed an interest in how the environment around us affects our health. I decided to join the Christensen lab to further explore these interests. Currently, I am interested in using both experimental and computational methods to understand epigenetic changes found in diseases and the factors that drive those changes. Outside of the lab, I enjoy traveling and exploring new cities.
Ji-Qing Chen, M.S.
Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, 2017-Present
National Taiwan University, 2009-13
During the master training, I have in vivo and in vitro study skills, as well as the ability to see the big picture in a research project. My master’s thesis centered on cancer biology, and my research experience and results demonstrate my passion for dissecting the mechanisms behind diseases. They have also inspired me to go further in my research so that I can uncover mysteries in the development and mechanisms of malignant tumor, to effectively cure them. I am drawn to the research of Dr. Brock Christensen for investigating the impact of epigenetic alterations in cancer development. I am interested in exploring the association between epigenetics and the response to antineoplastic drugs in cancer patients. For example, investigating whether methylation-derived immune cell profiles could be biomarkers for the response to anti-angiogenic treatment. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and skiing.
Lab Alumni
Lucas A. Salas, M.D. MSc M.P.H. Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Christensen Lab 2015-2020
Current: Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine
Youdinghan "David" Chen, M.S., Ph.D.
Pacific Lutheran University, 2011-14, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2014-15
Ph.D. Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (QBS), Laboratory of Brock Christensen
Current: Senior Data Scientist, Mastercard
Curtis Petersen, MPH, Ph.D.
The Dartmouth Institute, MPH 2014
Ph.D. The Dartmouth Institute, jointly mentored by Brock Christensen & John Batsis, 2021
Current: Chief Data Officer, Ucardia
Meghan Muse, B.A., Ph.D.
Dartmouth College, BA, 2013
Ph.D. Quantitative Biomedical Sciences,Laboratory of Brock Christensen, 2021
Current: Postdoctoral Fellow, Geisel School of Medicine
Joshua J. Levy, B.A., Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley, 2017
Ph.D. Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Brock Christensen, 2021
Current: Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Dermatology, Geisel School of Medicine
Allegra Scarpa, B.A.
Dartmouth College, 2021
Current: Pre-doctoral Research Associate, Adimab LLC
Owen M. Wilkins, MBiol., Ph.D.
University of Bath, 2013
Ph.D., Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, 2019
Current: Bioinformatics Research Scientist, NCCC and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Sara N. Lundgren, Ph.D.
B.A. University of Chicago, 2014
Ph.D. Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, jointly mentored by Brock Christensen and Anne Hoen, 2019
Current: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Helsinki, Finland
B.A. Biology, B.S. Biochemistry, University of Puget Sound, 2011
Ph.D. Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Brock Christensen, 2018
Current: Vice President of Strategy, Colossal Biosciences
Kevin C. Johnson, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts – Amherst, 2011
Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine, 2011-2016
Current: Postdoctoral Associate, Verhaak laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory
Dylan O'Sullivan
Dartmouth College Class of 2015,
Ph.D. in Epidemiology Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
Current: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the University of Calgary