Seattle — Jan. 8, 2026 — Fred Hutch Cancer Center researchers have science-informed advice to help people improve their health in the new year. From trending topics to tried-and-true guidance, Fred Hutch is a leader in cancer prevention and wellness. Below are Fred Hutch researchers, nutritionists, exercise specialists and clinicians who can share cancer prevention tips and ways to improve health.
Trending Topics
Fred Hutch experts can discuss topics that are in the news right now, including alcohol use, multi-cancer detection tests, endometriosis, new dietary guidelines and vaping.
- New dietary guidelines
- Marian Neuhouser, PhD, RD, leads Fred Hutch's Cancer Prevention Program where her research focuses on the role of nutrition and obesity in the prevention and survivorship of breast and prostate cancers.
- Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, MPH, is a public health researcher and naturopathic physician who studies cancer prevention, obesity and cancer and integrative medicine such as acupuncture, massage, botanicals, vitamins and supplements.
- Alcohol
- Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD: Epidemiologist who studies how to prevent cancer through lifestyle factors, including alcohol and exercise.
- Chris Li, MD, PhD: Epidemiologist who specializes in identifying cancer risk factors such as weight, exercise and alcohol consumption.
- Women’s health
- Holly Harris, MPH, ScD: Public health researcher studying the impact of lifestyle, nutrition and genetic factors on women's health, particularly diseases like ovarian cancer, endometriosis and fibroids.
- Naoko Sasamoto, MD, PhD: Gynecologist whose research focuses on improving outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer, endometriosis and adenomyosis.
- Garnet Anderson, PhD: Biostatistician leading the Women's Health Initiative . She has conducted numerous large-scale and multi-year public health studies related to women's health.
- Early cancer detection & genetic risk
- Ruth Etzioni, PhD and Scott Ramsey, MD, PhD: Researchers focused on evaluating and understanding blood-based cancer screening methods. They lead the Cancer Screening Research Network, which is currently studying multi-cancer detection tests.
- Ulrike Peters, PhD, MPH: Genetic epidemiologist focused on genetic risk factors for colorectal cancer.
- Smoking, vaping & tobacco
- Jaimee Heffner, PhD and Jonathan Bricker, PhD: Clinical psychologists who study tobacco-cessation interventions.
- Matty Triplette, MD, MPH: Pulmonologist studying how to best implement lung cancer screening to save the most lives.
Tools for Wellness
Fred Hutch experts are developing resources to help individuals take control of their health and make lifestyle changes for cancer prevention and general wellness.
- MyGeneRisk
- Created by Ulrike Peters, PhD, MPH and Li Hsu, PhD, MyGeneRisk is a free, web-based calculator that allows users to input basic health information, including lifestyle habits and genetic data, to estimate their colorectal cancer risk.
- Cook for Your Life
- Led by Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, MPH, Cook for Your Life offers a public collection of recipes, instructional cooking videos and science-based nutrition and health information in both English and Spanish – all adhering to standards established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- QuitBot
- Jonathan Bricker, PhD, and Fred Hutch’s Health and Behavioral Innovations in Technology (HABIT) research group developed an AI-powered chatbot app called QuitBot to help more people successfully quit smoking cigarettes. It’s available for free on Apple and Android devices.
Nutrition & Microbiome
Fred Hutch nutrition experts can discuss the significance of maintaining a wholesome diet as a proactive measure against cancer, offering valuable insights for overall public health and preventive strategies.
- Johanna Lampe, PhD, RD is an experimental nutritionist studying the relationship between diet and microbiome.
- Areas of Expertise: Nutrition, Microbiome
- Amanda Phipps, PhD, MPH is an epidemiologist studying gut microbiome and colorectal cancer as well as the impact of sleep apnea and cancer.
- Areas of Expertise: Microbiome, Sleep, Colorectal Cancer
- Kerry McMillen, MS, RD, CSO, FAND, leads Fred Hutch's Medical Nutrition Therapy services, where she works with patients to support a healthy diet during cancer treatment.
- Areas of Expertise: Nutrition, Microbiome
Exercise
Researchers and clinicians agree that physical activity is one of the best ways to improve health at any time of year. Fred Hutch experts are studying how exercise prevents cancer, while clinicians are helping patients use exercise for both long- and short-term health.
- Hanna Hunter, MD, leads Fred Hutch's Cancer Rehabilitation program, where she focuses on helping patients use physical activity before, during and after cancer treatment. Hunter teaches patients how exercise doesn't have to be at the gym but can take place in their everyday life.
- Areas of Expertise: Exercise, Physical Therapy
- Matthew Van Doren leads Fred Hutch's Exercise Research Center. His background as an exercise physiologist helps him support researchers who are looking to study the impact of exercise, as well as support participants in learning the ins and outs of the gym.
- Area of Expertise: Exercise
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Media Contact:
Kat Wynn
kwynn@fredhutch.org
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.
Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.