Brock C Christensen, PhD
Title(s)
Professor of Epidemiology
Professor of Community and Family Medicine
Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology
Department(s)
Epidemiology
Community and Family Medicine
Molecular and Systems Biology
Education
Harvard University, Ph.D. 2008
University of Wisconsin - Madison, B.S. 2002
Programs
Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine
Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
Contact Information
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
660 Williamson Translation Research Building
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon NH 03756
Office: 660 Williamson
Phone: 603-650-1827
Fax: 603-650-1129
Email: Brock.Christensen@Dartmouth.edu
Professional Interests
Dr. Christensen's research is focused on combining advances in molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics with the powerful techniques of modern epidemiology and statistics to characterize epigenetic states in human health and disease. His interests include understanding relationships between epigenetic states and exposures in the context of disease susceptibility, occurrence, and progression. By investigating complex interactions between the environment and somatic epigenetic alterations in target tissues, as well as epigenetic susceptibility traits in surrogate tissues, he hopes to develop their potential translational utility for diagnostic, prognostic, and/or treatment purposes.
Courses Taught
PEMM103 Introductory Applied Biostatistics with R (Course director)
Biography
Dr. Christensen received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin Madison in Medical Microbiology & Immunology and French in 2002, and his Ph.D. from the Program in Biological Sciences in Public Health at Harvard University in 2008. 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 as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Community and Family Medicine in the Section of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Selected Publications |
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Distinct cytosine modification profiles define epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell-state transitions. Enhanced cell deconvolution of peripheral blood using DNA methylation for high-resolution immune profiling. Immune profiles and DNA methylation alterations related with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer outcomes. DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in pediatric central nervous system tumors may impact tumor classification and is a positive prognostic marker. MethylSPWNet and MethylCapsNet: Biologically Motivated Organization of DNAm Neural Networks, Inspired by Capsule Networks. Altered immune phenotype and DNA methylation in panic disorder. MethylNet: an automated and modular deep learning approach for DNA methylation analysis. Prediagnostic breast milk DNA methylation alterations in women who develop breast cancer. Microbial Communities in Human Milk Relate to Measures of Maternal Weight. Genome-wide characterization of cytosine-specific 5-hydroxymethylation in normal breast tissue. |
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