 I began my career in cancer epidemiology working on methodologic issues in relating diet to cancer (1, 2). Over the years, I have become interested in issues ranging from: the use of epidemiologic methods to assess non-conventional medical practices in order to identify efficacious preventives and therapeutics and move them into the mainstream (3-5); developing a variety of methods that can be used in practical ways to improve risk assessment (6, 7); and conceptual blocks that may prevent our seeing clearly why cancer disparities exist between populations (8-10).
I came to South Carolina because of the superb fit between the needs of the people. Cancer rate disparities here are among the largest in the nation. For some cancers, including those of the head and neck, they are proportionally much larger than for any other disease, and they are discordant with rates of exposure to tobacco products (11, 12). I have a long-standing interest in the epidemiology of oral cancer and precancerous lesions (13-15). The entire focus of my work overseas has been on these conditions (16-18). It is my intention to use methods developed in both geographical regions in which I work (South Carolina and India) to make material progress is controlling and preventing these cancers. REFERENCES 1. Wynder EL, Hebert JR. Homogeneity in nutritional exposure: An impediment in cancer epidemiology. J Natl Cancer Inst 1987;79:605-7. 2. Hebert JR, Miller DR. Methodologic considerations for investigating the diet-cancer link. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;47:1068-77. 3. Hebert JR. An epidemiologist's view of Block's challenge: The role of the self in cancer survival. Adv Mind Body Med 1997;13(1):39-43. 4. Hebert JR. Randomization and measurement in efficacy studies of behavioral and mind-body interventions. Adv Mind Body Med 1997;13:60-4. 5. Zander MES, Wargovich MJ, R. HJ. Methodologic Considerations in the Study of Diet as Part of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Modalities. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 2004;(In Press):00-000. 6. Hebert JR, Miller DR. The inappropriateness of conventional use of the correlation coefficient in assessing validity and reliability of dietary assessment methods. Eur J Epidemiol 1991;7:339-43. 7. Hebert JR, Ebbeling CB, Ockene IS, Ma Y, Rider L, Merriam PA, Ockene JK, Saperia GM. A dietitian-delivered group nutrition program leads to reductions in dietary fat, serum cholesterol, and body weight: findings from the Worcester Area Trial for Counseling in Hyperlipidemia (WATCH). J Am Diet Assoc 1999;99:544-52. 8. Hebert JR, Kabat GC. Distribution of smoking and its association with lung cancer: Implication for fat-cancer studies. J Natl Cancer Inst 1991;83:872-4. 9. Hebert JR. Invited commentary: menthol cigarettes and risk of lung cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology 2003;158(7):617-20. 10. Hebert JR. Epidemiologic studies of diet and cancer: The case for international collaboration (Commissioned as part of the Eminent Scientist of the Year 2004 Award by the World Science Forum). Austro-Asian J Cancer 2004;(In Press)(Special Issue - Recent Advances and Research Updates):00-000. 11. South Carolina behavioral risk factors surveillance system report: 2001 survey results. Columbia, South Carolina: SC Department of Health and Environmental Control; 2001. 12. Data Run on 1996-2001 Oral Cancer by Histologic Subtype. SC DHEC, 2004. (Accessed April, 2004, at Columbia, SC. 13. Kabat GC, Hebert JR, Wynder EL. Risk factors for oral cancer in women. Cancer Res 1989;49:2803-6. 14. Hebert JR, Landon J, Miller DR. Consumption of meat and fruit in relation to oral and esophageal cancer: A cross national study. Nutr Cancer 1993;19:169-79. 15. Barone J, Taioli E, Hebert JR, Wynder EL. Vitamin supplement use and risk for oral and esophageal cancer. Nutr Cancer 1992;18:31-41. 16. Hebert JR, Gupta PC, Bhonsle RB, Mehta H, Zheng W, Sanderson M, Teas J. Dietary exposures and oral precancerous lesions in Srikakulum District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Public Health Nutr 2002;5:303-12. 17. Gupta PC, Hebert JR, Bhonsle RB, Murti PR, Mehta H, Mehta FS. Influence of dietary factors on oral precancerous lesions in a population-based case-control study in Kerala, India. Cancer 1999;85:1885-93. 18. Gupta PC, Hebert JR, Bhonsle RB, Sinor PN, Mehta H, Mehta FS. Dietary factors in oral leukoplakia and submucous fibrosis in a population-based case-control study in Gujarat, India. Oral Dis 1998;4:200-6. | 
