The GW Cancer Center’s Cancer Epidemiology Shared Resource (CESR) collects and manages population-based and patient-reported clinical data to support GW Cancer Center administrative and community outreach and engagement (COE) activities, GW Cancer Center researchers, and members of the GW Cancer Center catchment area community. The CESR, along with the Cancer Informatics Core and the GW Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office, is one component of the GW Cancer Center's overall cancer data ecosystem.
CESR Goals
- Support community, outreach, and engagement activities of the GW Cancer Center in our catchment area and beyond.
- Support successful research project planning, grant applications, reports, and manuscripts for GW Cancer Center members through the identification and interpretation of cancer-related population-level data.
CESR Services provided to GW Cancer Center members
- Provide background data on cancer incidence and mortality, population demographics, and prevalence of behavioral risk factors for use in manuscripts, presentations, and grant applications.
- Assist researchers with data visualization for manuscripts/reports, presentations/abstracts, etc.
- Assist researchers in identifying appropriate secondary data resources for cancer-related research.
- Assist researchers in identifying appropriate instruments for collecting participant-reported data for use in research studies (e.g., quality of life, social determinants of health, physical activity, dietary intake, sleep).
CESR Service Request Form
To request services from the CESR, complete the request form. A team member will contact you.
Cancer in Focus: The George Washington Cancer Data Visualizer
The George Washington Cancer Center Data Visualizer is an interactive dashboard for querying and visualizing population-based data related to the GW Cancer Center catchment area.
The CESR Team
CESR Director
Kim Robien, PhD, is a member of the GW Cancer Center and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Epidemiology in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George She is a cancer epidemiologist, nutrition scientist, Registered Dietitian, and a Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. Dr. Robien’s research focuses specifically on understanding the extent to which diet, physical activity, body composition, and other modifiable lifestyle factors can improve cancer treatment outcomes, as well as identifying and addressing disparities in cancer treatment outcomes.
Brooke Burgess received her MS in Clinical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biochemistry at George Washington University and a BS in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University. As a member of the CESR, she maintains the George Washington Cancer Data Visualizer and assists researchers with catchment area analysis. Brooke has additional experience managing clinical trials in oncology and pediatric emergency medicine. Her technical skills include R, Python, REDCap, and Tableau.
Relevant Resources
Cancer Statistics At-a-Glance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
GIS Portal for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Prevalence and Trends Data
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
PLACES: Local Data for Better Health
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Explore Census Data
US Census Bureau