Marie-Élise Parent received a BSc in Nutrition from the Université de Montréal, an MSc in Nutrition (Epidemiology) from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Nutrition (Epidemiology) from the Université de Montréal. She did a postdoctoral fellowship in Environmental Epidemiology and Cancer at the Institut Armand-Frappier. Marie-Élise Parent is a cancer epidemiologist with a particular interest in the etiological role of occupational, lifestyle, and genetic factors. She now leads a large population-based case-control study of prostate cancer funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Her main affiliation is as associate professor at the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, in Laval, Québec.



Research

My main research activities aim at evaluating, through epidemiologic studies, whether exposure to different environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors plays a role in cancer aetiology. In this context, I am currently conducting in Montreal a large case-control study exploring whether any of these factors, alone or in combination, are involved in the aetiology of prostate cancer. The unfavourable circumstances that follow a diagnosis of prostate cancer clearly highlight the need to find ways to prevent this disease; this, in turn, means identifying modifiable risk factors. Efforts to elucidate the risk factors for prostate cancer have met with little success to date. The descriptive epidemiology provides compelling evidence that its aetiology involves environmental influences. Occupational agents and lifestyle represent potential risk factors that are both promising and under-studied. Moreover, susceptibility genes are at the cutting edge of prostate cancer research. In this study, we are exploring, using expert-based exposure assessment, the role of some 100 occupational substances under particular suspicion. Moreover, we are assessing the role of selected lifestyle factors for which more evidence needs to be accrued, i.e., physical activity (occupational, household, recreational), sexual habits, lifetime body size and abdominal obesity, baldness patterns, smoking, and alcohol. Finally, we are collecting saliva samples in order to assess the role of relevant genetic polymorphisms (mainly carcinogen metabolizing and hormone-related genes); these may influence susceptibility to prostate cancer either alone, or in combination with occupational or lifestyle risk factors. Data collection for this project is expected to be completed in 2010, with 1,500 prostate cancer cases and 1,500 population controls interviewed. (Funded by the Canadian Cancer Society through the National Cancer Institute of Canada, PI : M-É Parent).


Other affiliations


Associate Professor, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec

Adjunct Professor, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université de Montréal


Other on-going projects


Analysis of a Montreal case-control study of occupational and non-occupational risk factors for lung cancer (Funded by CIHR, Co-PIs: J. Siemiatycki and M-É Parent).

Risk of lung cancer related to occupational and recreational physical activity and to dietary intake of flavonoids (Funded by the CCSRI, PI: A. Koushik).

Non-specific stimulation of the immune function during childhood and risk of asthma (Funded by the FRSQ, PI: M-C Rousseau).

Case-control study of cellular phone use and risk of tumors of the brain, parotid gland and acoustic nerve (Funded by CIHR, Montreal Co-PIs: J. Siemiatycki and M-É Parent).

Occupational exposures and brain cancer (Funded by NIH, PI: E. Cardis).

Pooled analysis of case-control studies on the joint effects of occupational carcinogens in the development of lung cancer: Montreal component (Funded by the German Statutory Accident Insurance - DGUV, PI : A. Koushik).
 

Education and training


Postdoctoral fellowship, Environmental Epidemiology and Cancer, Institut Armand-Frappier, Montréal, QC

PhD, Nutrition / Epidemiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC

MSc, Nutrition / Epidemiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON

BSc, Nutrition, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
 

Selected scientific and management committees


Member, Board of Directors, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (2009-pr.)

Member, Board of Directors, Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (2008-pr.).

Vice-Chair & member of the Board of Directors (2005-2006) and regular member (2003-2004), Management Committee, Prostate Cancer Research Initiative, National Cancer Institute of Canada.

Member of several Peer-Review Panels for CIHR, FRSQ, NCIC, CCSRI (2000-pr.)

Member, Editorial Board, Cancer Epidemiology (2009-pr.)


Selected publications

  1. Koushik A., Parent M.-É., Siemiatycki J. Characteristics of menstruation and pregnancy and the risk of lung cancer in women. Accepted, International Journal of Cancer.
  2. Benedetti A., Parent M.-É., Siemiatycki J. Lifetime consumption of alcoholic beverages and risk of cancer at 19 sites: results from a case-control study in Montreal. Accepted, Cancer Detection and Prevention.
  3. Pintos J., Parent M.-É., Rousseau M.-C., Case B., Siemiatycki J.  Risk of mesothelioma and occupational exposure to asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers: evidence from two case-control studies in Montreal, Canada. Accepted, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
  4. Vrijheid M., Richardson L., Armstrong B.K., Auvinen A., Berg G., Carroll M., Chetrit A., Deltour I., Feychting M., Giles G.G., Hours M., Iavarone I., Lagorio S., Lönn S., McBride M., Parent M.-É., Sadetzki S., Salminen T., Sanchez M., Schlehofer B., Schüz J., Siemiatycki J., Tynes T., Woodward A., Yamaguchi N., Cardis E. Quantifying the impact of selection bias caused by non-participation in a case-control study of mobile phone use. Annals of Epidemiology 2009;19:33-42.
  5. Pintos J., Parent M.-É., Rousseau M.-C., Case B., Siemiatycki J.  Occupational exposure to asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers, and risk of lung cancer: evidence from two case-control studies in Montreal, Canada. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;50:1273-1281.
  6. Wigle D., Turner M.C., Gomes J., Parent M.-É. Role of hormonal and other factors in human prostate cancer. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews 2008;11:242-259. Review.
  7. Ramanakumar A.V., Parent M.-É., Latreille B., Siemiatycki J. Risk of lung cancer following exposure to carbon black, titanium dioxide and talc: results from two case-control studies in Montreal. International Journal of Cancer 2008; 122:183-189.
  8. Parent M.-É., Rousseau M.-C., Boffetta P., Cohen A., Siemiatycki J. Exposure to diesel and gasoline engine emissions and the risk of lung cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology 2007; 165:53-62.
  9. Rousseau M.-C., Parent M.-É., Nadon L., Latreille B., Siemiatycki J. Occupational exposure to lead compounds and risk of cancer among men: A population-based case-control study.  American Journal of Epidemiology 2007;166:1005-1014.
  10. Ramanakumar A.V., Parent M.-É., Siemiatycki J. Risk of lung cancer from residential heating and cooking fuels in Montreal, Canada. American Journal of Epidemiology 2007; 165:634-42.
  11. Cardis E., Richardson L., Deltour I., Armstrong B., Feychting M., Johanssen C., Kilkenny M., McKinney P., Modan B., Sadetzki S., Schüz J., Swerdlow A., Vrijheid M., Auvinen A., Berg G., Blettner M., Bowman J., Brown J., Chetrit A., Christensen H.C., Cook A., Hepworth S., Giles G., Hours M., Iavarone I., Jarus-Hakak A., Klaeboe L., Krewski D., Lagorio S., Lönn S., Mann S., McBride M., Muir K., Nadon L., Parent M.-É., Pearce N., Salminen T., Schoemaker M., Schlehofer B., Siemiatycki J., Taki M., Takebayashi T., Tynes T., van Tongeren M., Vecchia P., Wiart J., Woodward A., Yamaguchi N. The INTERPHONE Study: Design, epidemiological methods, and description of the study population. European Journal of Epidemiology 2007;22:647-664.
  12. Benedetti A., Parent M.-É., Siemiatycki J. Alcohol consumption and lung cancer risk in two case-control studies in Montreal. Cancer Causes & Control 2006;17:469-480.
  13. Rousseau M.-C., Parent M.-É., Pollak M.N., Siemiatycki J. Diabetes mellitus and cancer risk in a population-based case-control study among men from Montreal, Canada. International Journal of Cancer  2006; 118:2105-2109.
  14. Parent M.-É., Siemiatycki J. Occupation and prostate cancer. Epidemiologic Reviews 2001;23:138-143. Invited article.


Studentship and fellowship opportunities

Students interested in pursuing M.Sc., Ph.D. or postdoctoral studies in the area of cancer epidemiology are invited to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it