Grant Number:	1R01CA315614-01 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Zheng, Wei
Organization:	Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Project Title:	Southern Community Cohort Study
Fiscal Year:	2026

ABSTRACT We are submitting this application to seek continued support for the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) and to test significant etiologic hypotheses related to cancer. Initiated in 2002, the SCCS recruited nearly 85,000 adults aged 40-79 across 12 southern states primarily through close partnership with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), institutions that provide primary and affordable health and preventive services. Our recruitment strategy resulted in the SCCS largely comprising segments of the American population, including Southern, low-income, rural, and Black Americans, who are at elevated cancer risk but rarely included in large numbers in other prospective cohort studies. In addition to detailed survey data, biospecimens were collected from nearly 90% of participants, including blood, urine, mouth rinse/saliva, and stool samples. By leveraging the rich and unique resources established in the SCCS, we propose to evaluate several critical and impactful study questions related to cancer etiology and prevention, many of which cannot be investigated in other cohorts as rigorously as in the SCCS. In Aim 1, we will analyze survey data to assess dietary and other lifestyle factors in relation to cancer risk and cause-specific mortality with a major focus on studying factors with recent emerging evidence for cancer risk and a higher exposure prevalence among low- income or Black Americans than among other populations. In Aim 2, we will develop novel gut microbiota- derived dietary patterns based on microbial genetic pathways for fiber fermentation and sulfur metabolism and evaluate their associations with the risk of major gastrointestinal cancers (colorectal, liver, and pancreatic). In Aim 3, we will develop DNA methylation signatures reflecting biological effects of smoking and then prospectively evaluate these signatures with lung cancer risk primarily among former and light smokers. Results from these investigations will significantly improve our understanding of cancer etiology and biology, providing valuable data to design cost-effective strategies for cancer prevention. To achieve these aims, we will continue to follow up the cohort, which will identify additional disease outcomes, including new cancer cases, further enhancing the cohort’s scientific value by maximizing the investment made over the past two decades. Continued support of the SCCS will not only enable the research proposed in this application but also ensure that the broader scientific community can continue leveraging SCCS resources for years to come to investigate causes of cancer and cost-effective cancer prevention strategies, especially in populations with high cancer risk, and to reduce the burden of cancer among all population in the U.S.





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