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ABOUT THE STUDY |
THE RESEARCH TEAM
Rochelle has dedicated the past 16 years of her career serving women and children in the health field, working primarily in the area of prevention of illness and disease. Currently, she is the head of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services Community Epidemiology Program. In her first two years as epidemiology program director, she managed the first countywide health survey, worked to improve data surveillance for the health division, and directed breast cancer research projects for Marin County. Prior to her work in the epidemiology program, she served as the maternal and child health director for Marin County for four years. She also conducted clinical research in the area of human lactation at the University of California at Davis, ran three prenatal clinics in Yolo County, and lectured at the University of California at Davis in community nutrition. Her current research focuses on the epidemiology of breast cancer in Marin County, an area with historically elevated incidence rates, and the translation of epidemiologic concepts to the community. When not creating graphs, Rochelle enjoys mountain biking, hiking and backpacking.
Dr. Benz is a professor and program director at the Buck Institute for Aging as well as a board certified oncologist at UCSF's Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center, senior member of the UCSF Cancer Center's Breast Oncology Program, and faculty member in the UCSF-UC Berkeley Graduate Program of Bioengineering. Dr. Benz and his Buck Institute research team are currently researching the link between aging and the onset of breast cancer; in particular, why the incidence of breast cancer increases with age, and how the aging process alters breast cancer biology. His lab is currently investigating new therapeutic approaches to clinically aggressive subtypes of ER+ and ErbB2+ breast cancers. Dr. Benz’s early interest in hormone-related diseases motivated him to explore the role of genes in breast cancer. Furthermore, Dr. Benz is hopeful that the Marin Women’s Study will reveal new insights into specific gene-environment interactions associated with breast cancer risk among women. He feels strongly that collaborative research among scientists, clinicians, and advocacy groups will further our understanding of breast cancer as well as other women’s health issues.
Dr. Clarke is a research scientist and associate director of the Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC) and a lecturer in the Department of Health Research and Policy at Stanford University. Dr. Clarke received her M.P.H. in epidemiology from Tulane University in 1996 and then her Ph.D. (also in epidemiology) from UC Berkeley in 1999. Dr. Clarke’s research efforts are centered in four areas: 1) the epidemiology of lymphomas, particularly Hodgkin lymphoma, 2) time trends and epidemiology of breast cancer, 3) immunologic and viral causes of malignancy, and 4) cancer surveillance and creative uses of cancer surveillance data (e.g., SEER, cancer registry data). Dr. Clarke is interested in geographic variations in breast cancer incidence especially in the Bay Area and methods to uncover possible immunologic causes. Currently, her breast cancer research explores environmental factors associated with immune system development (as identified by the “hygiene hypothesis” literature for asthma and allergy development). In addition to her research with NCCC, Dr. Clarke advises the Marin Women’s Study about the cancer registry and other population-based data resources. In her spare time, Dr. Clarke enjoys spending time with her two children, skiing, hiking, watching college sports and wine tasting. Janet R. Daling, Ph.D.
Dr. Habel is a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research and a lecturer in the Department of Health Research and Policy at Stanford University. Her research efforts are focused on the etiology and progression of pre-invasive and early invasive breast cancer and on the association between common medications and cancer risk. She is also conducting research on breast density, including its relation to both the etiology and prognosis of breast cancer. In her spare time, Dr. Habel enjoys traveling to exotic places, hiking and bird watching. Francine Halberg, M.D.
Dr. Kerlikowske is an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF. Dr. Kerlikowske's research focuses on the epidemiology of invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS); patient and physician factors that influence the accuracy of screening mammography; improving breast cancer risk assessment; epidemiologic, biologic and genetic studies of breast density; and predictors of breast cancer recurrence. She uses three well-characterized study populations to address research questions: Dr. Kerlikowske is facilitating a novel measure of breast density for the Marin Women's Study and assisting with data collection through the SFMR.
Kathy has been working as the breast cancer research program coordinator for the Marin County Department of Health & Human Services (MCDHHS) Community Epidemiology Program since 2001. She has been involved in the epidemiology program’s breast cancer research since the program’s inception. Kathy works with a collaborative of academic, health care delivery and community based organizations including Marin General Hospital, Novato Community Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, UC San Francisco, Buck Institute for Age Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Zero Breast Cancer, Tina Action Programs, Marin Asian Advocacy Program and the American Cancer Society to name a few. Prior to joining the team at MCDHHS, Kathy served for 15 years as a health educator for Kaiser Permanente in Marin where she was responsible for the implementation of all health education services available to the Marin County community. From 2000-2002, she was a co-investigator with the Northern California Cancer Center on the Sisters Breast Health Study and is currently a co-investigator in a 7 year research project funded by NIEHS’s Breast Cancer & the Environment Research Center for Excellence (http://www.bcerc.org/). When Kathy is not coordinating research, she spends her time hanging out with her three incredible children and two dogs.
Dr. Mockus is a full-time general surgeon with Kaiser Permanente. She received her Ph.D. (as well as her M.D.) from the University of Colorado, in breast cancer research, biochemistry, biophysics, and genetics. Dr. Mockus is the Kaiser principal investigator on the Marin Women's Study, immediate past president of the board of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Marin YMCA, guest lecturer at Sonoma State, recipient of the Zero Breast Cancer's Honor Thy Healer Award, Marin resident and mother of three. Her research interests are in the risk factors for breast cancer in Marin, as a road to designing prevention advice for the women of Marin. She is also an active supporter of the Marin Dance Theater, and she enjoys ballet, skiing and running.
For over two decades, Fern has worked as a public health specialist within a variety of communicable disease prevention programs. Fern is the quality assurance program manager with the California HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services (PCRS) program. PCRS provides technical assistance to local health departments and community-based agencies in helping people living with HIV safely disclose their HIV status to partners. Now serving as president of the board of directors of Zero Breast Cancer (formerly Marin Breast Cancer Watch), Fern, a ten-year breast cancer survivor, is actively involved with a variety of innovative breast cancer research projects including the Marin Women’s Study. With a focus on community based research, education and advocacy, Fern is vested in keeping an environmental focus within the breast cancer research agenda. Residing with her family in Tamalpais Valley, Fern cherishes hiking the beautiful hills of Marin, doing Hot Yoga and helping her garden grow!
Mark has been studying breast cancer in Marin for the past two years with a focus on risk factors and rates among Marin's different ethnic groups. His research with the epidemiology program includes mapping breast cancer rates, exploring the connection between breast cancer rates and socioeconomic status, and examining migration patterns in Marin and their effect on breast cancer rates. Dr. Powell is board-certified in internal medicine and practiced for 12 years before going into public health after receiving his M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from UC Berkeley. Lee Ann Prebil, Ph.D. Lee Ann is an epidemiologist in the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services Community Epidemiology Program. She has been working for the health department for eight years, and for the epidemiology program for five years, where she has focused on studies of breast cancer in the Marin community, including examinations of socioeconomic status and breast cancer. Lee Ann recently completed her Ph.D. in epidemiology at UC Berkeley, where she also earned her master’s in public health, with a focus on maternal and child health. Her major interests are in women's health and its impact on the family, the role of nutrition in health, and the translation of research findings into public health practice. Outside of the office, Lee Ann's favorite pastime is trying to keep up with her two sons. Karina Arambula, M.P.H. Karina Arámbula, MPH is an Epidemiologist for the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services. She received her Master's of Public Health in 2007 from the University of California, Berkeley where in addition to a focusing on epidemiology and statistics, she was a co-investigator on an award winning multidisciplinary study that explored individual and community pathways and barriers to health. Prior to her epidemiological work for the county, Karina completed an undergraduate degree in Human Biology at Stanford University and was recruited to work in clinical research for the Stanford University Medical School where she managed dermatology clinical research trials. Her professional interests include cancer epidemiology, health disparities, and preventive health. In her spare time, Karina enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling with her new husband Andy. |
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Rochelle Ereman, M.S., M.P.H.
Christopher C. Benz, M.D.
Christina Clarke, Ph.D. 
Laurel A. Habel, Ph.D.
Karla Kerlikowske, M.D.
Kathleen Koblick, M.P.H.
Mary Mockus, M.D., Ph.D.
Fern Orenstein, M.Ed.
Mark Powell, M.D., M.P.H.