Ulrike (Riki) Peters, Ph.D., MPH

Dr. Ulrike “Riki” Peters, a molecular and genetic epidemiologist, is associate director of the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch. Her research focuses on the genetic epidemiology of colorectal cancer as well as the impact of race and ethnicity on underlying genetic risk factors for common, complex diseases. In 2007, Dr. Peters initiated the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium, or GECCO, the world’s largest molecular and genetic consortium for colorectal cancer. The consortium involves researchers from more than 130 institutions around the world. Together, they identify novel genetic risk factors for colorectal cancer to create personalized screening strategies and better drug therapies. Using GECCO data, Dr. Peters and colleagues also study the interplay between genes and the environment on colorectal cancer risk via genome-wide association studies. Dr. Peters also leads research that utilizes data from the Women’s Health Initiative minority cohort to understand potential genetic contributions to health disparities.