Education
ScD, Harvard University, 1995
MPH, Yale University, 1989
Overview
Elizabeth A. Platz, ScD, MPH is Professor, Martin D. Abeloff, MD Scholar in Cancer Prevention, and Deputy Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she directs the NCI-funded (T32) training program in Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control. She also co-leads the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and holds joint appointments in the Department of Oncology, and the Department of Urology and the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received her doctorate in epidemiology from and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health.
A major focus of her work is the use of molecular and genetic epidemiology approaches to understand the mechanisms underlying prostate incidence and progression. She conducts her work with an eye toward translation of findings into prevention and treatment strategies. Known for her leadership of multidisciplinary prostate cancer research teams, she is at the forefront of epidemiologic research on the role of inflammation, a target for prevention, in the development of prostate cancer, and on telomere length as a prognostic marker for poor outcome after treatment for prostate cancer. She is the editor-in-chief of the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention. In addition to her academic efforts, she is appointed by the governor to the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control, and is a member and former chair of the Maryland Cancer Collaborative.
Honors and Awards
2000 Faculty Innovation Fund
2000 Bernstein Young Investigator's Award
2003 Delta Omega Honorary Society in the Public Health Alpha Chapter
2003 and 2007 AMTRA Award (recognition for advising, mentoring and teaching)
2010 Martin D. Abeloff, MD Scholar in Cancer Prevention (First), Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (honoring the memory of Dr. Abeloff, late Director of the Cancer Center)
2013 Prostate Cancer Foundation Mentor of Excellence Award (First), Prostate Cancer Foundation 20th Annual Scientific Retreat
2014 Teaching Award for Faculty Outside of the Department, Department of Urology and the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
2019 Elected 2019 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) “For distinguished contributions to our understanding of the roles of genetics, epigenetics, and environmental factors in cancer epidemiology.”
2019 Visiting Scholar, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute “DCEG regularly brings world-class scientists in the field of cancer epidemiology and genetics to NCI to share their expertise with scientific staff through special seminars, small meetings, and informal lunch discussions.”