Raphael E. Cuomo

Last updated
Raphael E. Cuomo, Ph.D.
Born (1988-10-23) October 23, 1988 (age 36)
Nationality American
Alma mater Lafayette College (BS)
San Diego State University (MPH)
Harvard University (Certificate)
UC San Diego (PhD)
Known for Cancer epidemiology
AwardsFellow of the Royal Society for Public Health
Member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society
Scientific career
Fields Public health
Epidemiology
Health policy
Cancer prevention
Institutions

Raphael E. Cuomo FRSPH (born October 23, 1988) is an American biomedical scientist and Associate Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. [1] He is known for his applications of biostatistics and health informatics to various global health challenges, especially cancer epidemiology and tobacco-related health disparities. [2] [3] Cuomo is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health [4] and a member of the Delta Omega honorary society. [5] He is board certified in public health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). [6]

Contents

Research

Cuomo’s research addresses major global health challenges by integrating epidemiology, biostatistics, and policy analysis:

Cuomo is also author of the book Public Health Perceptions of American Youth, which reviews major public health issues affecting youth in the United States. [20]

Editorial Roles

Cuomo is Section Editor for JMIR Infodemiology and Handling Editor for Frontiers in Public Health. [21] He also serves as a peer reviewer for multiple journals, including JAMA Pediatrics .

Media recognition

Cuomo has been quoted in, and has had research covered by, numerous international media outlets. These include:

In addition, several of Cuomo's research findings have garnerned notable attention on social media, including his findings on vitamin D, [29] online marketing of e-cigarettes, [30] age-related metabolism of calcidiol, [31] and nicotine-related poisonings. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carcinogen</span> Substance, radionuclide, or radiation directly involved in causing cancer

A carcinogen is any agent that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can include synthetic chemicals, naturally occurring substances, physical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and biologic agents such as viruses and bacteria. Most carcinogens act by creating mutations in DNA that disrupt a cell's normal processes for regulating growth, leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation. This occurs when the cell's DNA repair processes fail to identify DNA damage allowing the defect to be passed down to daughter cells. The damage accumulates over time. This is typically a multi-step process during which the regulatory mechanisms within the cell are gradually dismantled allowing for unchecked cellular division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cigarette</span> Small roll of tobacco made to be smoked

A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opposite end. Cigarette smoking is the most common method of tobacco consumption. The term cigarette, as commonly used, refers to a tobacco cigarette, but the word is sometimes used to refer to other substances, such as a cannabis cigarette or a herbal cigarette. A cigarette is distinguished from a cigar by its usually smaller size, use of processed leaf, different smoking method, and paper wrapping, which is typically white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco smoking</span> Practice of burning tobacco and breathing the resulting smoke

Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or simply released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to have begun as early as 5000–3000 BC in Mesoamerica and South America. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 17th century by European colonists, where it followed common trade routes. The practice encountered criticism from its first import into the Western world onwards but embedded itself in certain strata of a number of societies before becoming widespread upon the introduction of automated cigarette-rolling apparatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cancer</span> Group of diseases involving cell growth

Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorectal cancer</span> Cancer of the colon or rectum

Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum. Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, abdominal pain and fatigue. Most colorectal cancers are due to lifestyle factors and genetic disorders. Risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking, and lack of physical activity. Dietary factors that increase the risk include red meat, processed meat, and alcohol. Another risk factor is inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the inherited genetic disorders that can cause colorectal cancer include familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer; however, these represent less than 5% of cases. It typically starts as a benign tumor, often in the form of a polyp, which over time becomes cancerous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholecalciferol</span> Vitamin D3, a chemical compound

Cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3 or colecalciferol, is a type of vitamin D that is produced by the skin when exposed to UVB light; it is found in certain foods and can be taken as a dietary supplement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitrosamine</span> Organic compounds of the form >N–N=O

In organic chemistry, nitrosamines are organic compounds with the chemical structure R2N−N=O, where R is usually an alkyl group. They feature a nitroso group bonded to a deprotonated amine. Most nitrosamines are carcinogenic in nonhuman animals. A 2006 systematic review supports a "positive association between nitrite and nitrosamine intake and gastric cancer, between meat and processed meat intake and gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer, and between preserved fish, vegetable and smoked food intake and gastric cancer, but is not conclusive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health effects of tobacco</span> Circumstances, mechanisms, and factors of tobacco consumption on human health

Tobacco products, especially when smoked or used orally, have serious negative effects on human health. Smoking and smokeless tobacco use are the single greatest causes of preventable death globally. Half of tobacco users die from complications related to such use. Current smokers are estimated to die an average of 10 years earlier than non-smokers. The World Health Organization estimates that, in total, about 8 million people die from tobacco-related causes, including 1.3 million non-smokers due to secondhand smoke. It is further estimated to have caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century.

Tobacco harm reduction (THR) is a public health strategy to lower the health risks to individuals and wider society associated with using tobacco products. It is an example of the concept of harm reduction, a strategy for dealing with the use of drugs. Tobacco smoking is widely acknowledged as a leading cause of illness and death, and reducing smoking is vital to public health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic cigarette</span> Device that vaporizes a liquid nicotine solution for inhalation

An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), commonly called as vape, is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid, which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotine dependence</span> Chronic disease

Nicotine dependence is a state of substance dependence on nicotine. It is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by a compulsive craving to use the drug despite social consequences, loss of control over drug intake, and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance is another component of drug dependence. Nicotine dependence develops over time as an individual continues to use nicotine. While cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product, all forms of tobacco use—including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarette use—can cause dependence. Nicotine dependence is a serious public health problem because it leads to continued tobacco use and the associated negative health effects. Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide, causing more than 8 million deaths per year and killing half of its users who do not quit. Current smokers are estimated to die an average of 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

Ventilated cigarettes are considered to have a milder flavor than regular cigarettes. These cigarette brands may be listed as having lower levels of tar ("low-tar"), nicotine, or other chemicals as "inhaled" by a "smoking machine". However, the scientific evidence is that switching from regular to light or low-tar cigarettes does not reduce the health risks of smoking or lower the smoker's exposure to the nicotine, tar, and carcinogens present in cigarette smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank C. Garland</span> American epidemiologist

Frank Caldwell Garland was an American epidemiologist whose research led to the conclusion that vitamin D deficiency can be a factor increasing risk for breast cancer and colon cancer.

Cancer is caused by genetic changes leading to uncontrolled cell growth and tumor formation. The basic cause of sporadic (non-familial) cancers is DNA damage and genomic instability. A minority of cancers are due to inherited genetic mutations. Most cancers are related to environmental, lifestyle, or behavioral exposures. Cancer is generally not contagious in humans, though it can be caused by oncoviruses and cancer bacteria. The term "environmental", as used by cancer researchers, refers to everything outside the body that interacts with humans. The environment is not limited to the biophysical environment, but also includes lifestyle and behavioral factors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cancer prevention</span> Taking measures to decrease cancer incidence

Cancer prevention is the practice of taking active measures to decrease the incidence of cancer and mortality. The practice of prevention depends on both individual efforts to improve lifestyle and seek preventive screening, and socioeconomic or public policy related to cancer prevention. Globalized cancer prevention is regarded as a critical objective due to its applicability to large populations, reducing long term effects of cancer by promoting proactive health practices and behaviors, and its perceived cost-effectiveness and viability for all socioeconomic classes.

The health effects of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) include a range of potential risks such as exposure to toxic chemicals, the possibility of increased likelihood of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and concerns about their possible role in cancer development. Upon their introduction, there were marketing claims that they were a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products.

The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking, weaken measures to control tobacco, and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes, because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits, but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did, as a result of chronic exposure", among other things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Composition of electronic cigarette aerosol</span>

The chemical composition of the electronic cigarette aerosol varies across and within manufacturers. Limited data exists regarding their chemistry. However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed the vape clouds of popular brands such as Juul and Vuse, and found "nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are unidentified."

Exposure to nicotine, from conventional or electronic cigarettes during adolescence can impair the developing human brain. E-cigarette use is recognized as a substantial threat to adolescent behavioral health. The use of tobacco products, no matter what type, is almost always started and established during adolescence when the developing brain is most vulnerable to nicotine addiction. Young people's brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Because addiction is a form of learning, adolescents can get addicted more easily than adults. The nicotine in e-cigarettes can also prime the adolescent brain for addiction to other drugs such as cocaine. Exposure to nicotine and its great risk of developing an addiction, are areas of significant concern.

Vaping-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI), also known as vaping-associated lung injury (VALI) or e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (E/VALI), is an umbrella term, used to describe lung diseases associated with the use of vaping products that can be severe and life-threatening. Symptoms can initially mimic common pulmonary diagnoses, such as pneumonia, but sufferers typically do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Differential diagnoses have overlapping features with VAPI, including COVID-19. According to a systematic review article, "Initial case reports of vaping-related lung injury date back to 2012, but the ongoing outbreak of EVALI began in the summer of 2019." EVALI cases continue to be diagnosed. "EVALI has by no means disappeared," Dr. Kligerman said. "We continue to see numerous cases, even during the pandemic, many of which are initially misdiagnosed as COVID-19."

References

  1. "UC San Diego Drug Development Faculty Page".
  2. Dagger, Jane (2024). From Data to Discovery: The Contributions of Dr. Raphael E. Cuomo, Ph.D. Seattle, WA: Kindle Direct Publishing. ISBN   979-8-218-56312-7 . Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  3. "Raphael Cuomo, PhD, MPH, CPH, FRSPH - Clinical Research".
  4. ResearchGate - Raphael Cuomo
  5. Delta Omega National Membership List
  6. https://apha.confex.com/apha/143am/webprogram/Person308842.html American Public Health Association, Annual Meeting 2015
  7. UC San Diego Researchers Link Higher Risk of Leukemia to Low Sunlight and Vitamin D
  8. Northern Latitude Shortage of Vitamin D Increase Leukemia Rates
  9. Cuomo, Raphael E.; Garland, Cedric F.; Gorham, Edward D.; Mohr, Sharif B. (2015). "Low cloud cover-adjusted ultraviolet B irradiance is associated with high incidence rates of leukemia: Study of 172 countries". PLOS ONE. 10 (12): e0144308. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1044308C. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144308 .
  10. "Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D & Five-Year Survival in Primary Colon Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study". Nutrition and Cancer. 2024.
  11. Online E-cigarette Vendors Engage Customers Using Popular Internet Tools
  12. "Rates of Adverse Events and Related Risk Factors Following E-Cigarette Use". Journal of Public Health. 2024.
  13. "Identification and characterization of illegal sales of cannabis and nicotine delivery products on telegram messaging platform". Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2023.
  14. Cuomo, Raphael E. (2024). "The Mediating Role of Comorbidities on the Relationship Between Serum Vitamin D and Five-Year Mortality Risk in Colon Cancer Patients". Nutrition and Cancer. 76 (10): 943–951. doi:10.1080/01635581.2024.2377844.
  15. Cuomo, Raphael E.; Purushothaman, Vishnu; Mackey, Tim K. (2023). "Tobacco/Nicotine Dependence as a Risk Factor for Substance Use Disorders and Related Mental Health Conditions Among Cancer Patients". Psycho-Oncology. 32 (9): 1395–1400. doi:10.1002/pon.6190. PMID   37409875.
  16. Cuomo, Raphael E. (2024). "Health Disparities in Time to Diagnosis and Survival Post-Diagnosis of Cirrhosis in Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Retrospective Cohort Study". Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.). 121: 141–146. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.02.005. PMID   38408687.
  17. Results of the First Study to Establish a Link Between Twitter and Illegal Online Pharmacies Published in JMIR
  18. "Improving Cancer Patient Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness: A Markov Simulation". Cancer Investigation. 2023.
  19. "Establishing a link between prescription drug abuse and illicit online pharmacies: Analysis of Twitter data". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 17 (12). 2015.
  20. "Google Books - Raphael Cuomo".
  21. "Editorial Board Members".
  22. "Vaping Warning as E-Cigarettes Causes Health Problems in 4 in 5 Users". 2024-01-30.
  23. "Lower Exposure to UVB Light From the Sun May Increase Colorectal Cancer Risk".
  24. "Pancreatic cancer risk linked to weak sunlight". 2015-04-30.
  25. "Study links lack of sunlight, Vitamin D to colon cancer risk".
  26. "Fake Avastin incident 'could happen again". 2015-04-07.
  27. "Colon cancer and UVB radiation: What's the link?".
  28. "'I really love the vibes': How Yelp boosts black market pot shops".
  29. "Altmetric Public Engagement with "Sunlight and Vitamin D: Necessary for Public Health"".
  30. "Altmetric Public Engagement with "Exploring the e-cigarette e-commerce marketplace: Identifying Internet e-cigarette marketing characteristics and regulatory gaps"".
  31. "BioMedCentral Public Engagement Altmetric - "Could age increase the strength of inverse association between ultraviolet B exposure and colorectal cancer?"".
  32. "Altmetric public engagement - "Content Analysis of Nicotine Poisoning (Nic Sick) Videos on TikTok: Retrospective Observational Infodemiology Study"".