Dr. Lindstroem's research focuses on understanding how human genetics and the environment affect our risk for developing disease. She focuses on studying cancer and the known risk factors, such as obesity.

A major unknown in this area is to which extent the same genes cause common cancers. She is therefore currently studying the shared genetic origin of common cancers. The results from this study will characterize the shared genetic contribution to breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian and prostate cancer, five cancers that together represent more than 50 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US. Findings from this study will identify global biological mechanisms that underlie cancer development and progression.