Dr. Alexandra Binder is an Assistant Professor of Cancer Epidemiology at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, with expertise in the design and analysis of epigenetic epidemiology studies. Her passion for this field originally stemmed from an interest in how early life conditions may shape long-term cancer risk through stable modifications to epigenetic patterns. In this area, she has been involved in several NIH-funded projects investigating behavioral and environmental influences on epigenetic variation during critical periods of development. Her NCI K07 Career Development Award extended this focus to the accumulation of epigenetic changes across the life course associated with aging. Her K07 research evaluated the relationship between reproductive and epigenetic aging, as well as their potential shared impact on breast cancer incidence among postmenopausal women. Dr. Binder's research continues to examine how epigenetic indicators of biologic age can be used to inform management of cancer risk, treatment, and survivorship.

In this R37 project, Dr. Binder and her colleagues will determine whether epigenetic age can be used to identify colon cancer patients at elevated risk for chemotherapy toxicities, dose reductions, and delays. They will further appraise whether a resistance-training intervention can reduce the rate of epigenetic aging over chemotherapy to minimize the risk of these outcomes. This study aims to inform more personalized treatment plans to diminish acute and long-term health burdens for colon cancer patients.