Julie R. Palmer, ScD, MPH
Karin Grunebaum Cancer Research Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Hematology & Medical Oncology

ScD, Harvard University
MPH, Boston University
BS, Boston University
BA, Brown University

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Dr. Palmer is a cancer epidemiologist based at the Slone Epidemiology Center, with research projects spanning cancer early detection, etiology, and survivorship. Her primary focus is on elucidating reasons for the disproportionately high incidence of hormone receptor negative breast cancer in U.S. Black women and on understanding and reducing racial disparities in breast cancer mortality. She is a founding leader of the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), a prospective cohort study of 59,000 self-identified Black women who enrolled in 1995 and have been followed by biennial questionnaire since that time. Her breast cancer research within the BWHS includes work on risk prediction models for breast cancer in U.S. Black women, identifying differences in childbearing patterns as a contributing cause to the excess incidence of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer in Black women, and investigating the interrelationships of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammation on breast cancer risk. Her current grants support work on somatic mutations, epigenetics, and gene expressions profiles in breast cancer tumors from African American women, setting the stage for a better understanding of the role of epidemiologic and genetic factors in etiology and prognosis. Dr. Palmer has served on many NIH and external advisory committees, including as Chair of the NIH Cancer, Cardiovascular, and Sleep Epidemiology Study Section, 2015-2017, and Co-Chair of a Working Group for the National Cancer Advisory Board, NCI, 2018-2019. Dr. Palmer was awarded the AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in 2017. She has served as a Komen Scholar since 2018 and as a Breast Cancer Research Foundation Investigator since 2023.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice have been a high priority for me throughout my career. I came of age during the early years of the Black Power movement, the second wave of the Women's Liberation movement, and the Gay Liberation movement. The terms "white privilege", "male privilege", "heterosexual privilege", and "class privilege" have been part of my lexicon since before I even began my graduate education. My choice of research topics as an epidemiologist has been informed by my desire to 1) conduct research in populations that have traditionally been ignored - specifically for my research, women and Black Americans, and 2) to address research questions that may lead to prevention of disease by considering social and political conditions rather individual behaviors only. To this end, I have devoted most of my research time since the early 1990's to creating and co-leading the Black Women's Health Study, a prospective cohort study of 59,000 U.S. Black women who enrolled in 1995 and have been followed by biennial questionnaires. In addition to prioritizing research questions as described above, I am committed to assisting in creating opportunities for Black investigators, and in particular Black women scientists, to develop successful careers. I do this first by recruiting and mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, and second by providing opportunities for Black investigators from other institutions to strengthen their careers by using Black Women's Health Study data to address their own hypotheses. It is not just that no one has all the answers; no one has all the questions. One of the most important things I have learned through years of working with a diverse group of investigators is to listen, to do my part in allowing there to be a space for all ideas to be heard. I am dedicated to welcoming and celebrating individuals of all races, ethnicities, social backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender, sex, age, ability, religion, and national origin.

Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology


Director
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Slone Epidemiology Center


Co-Director
Boston University
BU-BMC Cancer Center


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research


Member
Boston University
Genome Science Institute




A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women
09/01/2022 - 08/31/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Julie R. Palmer, ScD, MPH
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5U01CA164974-15

Evaluating the Feasibility of Lung Cancer Screening in High-risk Black Women
08/01/2023 - 07/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Massachusetts General Hospital HHS AHRQ
5R18HS029430-02

Somatic Mutations and Their Etiological Determinants for Breast Cancer in African American Women
02/01/2019 - 01/31/2026 (Multi-PI)
PI: Julie R. Palmer, ScD, MPH
Health Research, Inc. NIH NCI
5R01CA228156-05

American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant
01/01/2023 - 12/31/2025 (PI)
American Cancer Society, Inc.


Testing scalable communication modalities for returning breast cancer genetic research results to African American women
06/12/2020 - 11/30/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Julie R. Palmer, ScD, MPH
NIH/National Inst on Minority Health and Health Disparities
5R01MD014312-04

Psychosocial stress and molecular profiles of breast tumors from U.S. Black women
10/26/2022 - 10/25/2025 (PI)
Susan G. Komen for the Cure


Breast Cancer Drivers in Black Women: Society to Cells
11/01/2023 - 09/30/2025 (PI)
Breast Cancer Research Foundation


Neighborhood Disadvantage, Tumor Characteristics, and Breast Cancer Survival in U.S. Black Women
09/14/2023 - 09/13/2025 (PI)
Susan G. Komen for the Cure


Improving Breast Cancer Risk Prediction for African American Women: Consideration of Estrogen Receptor Subtype-Specific Risk Factors
01/08/2019 - 12/31/2023 (PI)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5R01CA228357-05

Relationships between parity, breastfeeding and ER- breast cancer in African American women: elucidating the biologic underpinnings at the molecular and cellular level
12/04/2018 - 11/30/2023 (Multi-PI)
PI: Julie R. Palmer, ScD, MPH
Health Research, Inc. NIH NCI
5R01CA225947-03

Showing 10 of 29 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women 5U01CA164974-15
2024 Evaluating the Feasibility of Lung Cancer Screening in High-Risk Black Women 5R18HS029430-02
2024 Testing scalable communication modalities for returning breast cancer genetic research results to African American women 5R01MD014312-04
2024 A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women 5U01CA164974-14
2023 Evaluating the Feasibility of Lung Cancer Screening in High-Risk Black Women 1R18HS029430-01
2023 Somatic Mutations and Their Etiological Determinants for Breast Cancer in African American Women 5R01CA228156-05
2023 Improving Breast Cancer Risk Prediction for African American Women: Consideration of Estrogen Receptor Subtype-Specific Risk Factors 5R01CA228357-05
2023 Relationships between parity, breastfeeding and ER- breast cancer in African American women: Elucidating the biologic underpinnings at the molecular and cellular level. 5R01CA225947-05
2023 A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women 5U01CA164974-13
2022 Testing scalable communication modalities for returning breast cancer genetic research results to African American women 5R01MD014312-03
Showing 10 of 85 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Website       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Nair NM, Mendicino L, Fiorica PN, Omilian AR, Khoury T, Bshara W, Bandera EV, Hong CC, Abdou Y, Freudenheim JL, Hennis AJM, O'Brien KM, Zirpoli GR, Butler EN, Obafunwa JO, Weinberg CR, Huo D, Li B, Guo X, Palmer JR, Haiman CA, Zheng W, Yao S, Ambrosone CB. The African-Specific Variant in the Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokines Gene, CD8+ T-Cell Density, and Aggressive Breast Cancer Subtypes in Black Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 Sep 02; 34(9):1509-1515.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40627176; PMCID: PMC12337512; DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0454;
     
  2. Peoples AR, Obón-Santacana M, Kim AE, Kawaguchi ES, Fu Y, Qu C, Moratalla-Navarro F, Morrison J, Lin Y, Arndt V, Berndt SI, Bien SA, Bishop DT, Bouras E, Brenner H, Buchanan DD, Campbell PT, Chan AT, Chang-Claude J, Conti DV, Corley DA, Devall MA, Dimou N, Drew DA, Gruber SB, Gunter MJ, Harlid S, Harrison TA, Hoffmeister M, Hsu L, Huyghe JR, Keku TO, Kundaje A, Lewinger JP, Li L, Lynch BM, Marchand LL, Martín V, Murphy N, Newton CC, Ogino S, Hardikar S, Ose J, Pai RK, Palmer JR, Papadimitriou N, Pardamean B, Pellatt AJ, Pinchev M, Platz EA, Potter JD, Rennert G, Ruiz-Narvaez EA, Sakoda LC, Schoen RE, Shcherbina A, Stern MC, Su YR, Thomas CE, Tian Y, Tsilidis KK, Um CY, van Duijnhoven FJB, van Guelpen B, Visvanathan K, Wang J, White E, Wolk A, Woods MO, Wu AH, Ulrich CM, Peters U, Gauderman WJ, Moreno V. Genetic risk factors modulate the association between physical activity and colorectal cancer. Res Sq. 2025 Sep 02. PMID: 40951278; PMCID: PMC12425077; DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7350654/v1;
     
  3. Watling CZ, Petrick JL, Graubard BI, Zhang X, Barnett MJ, Buring JE, Chen Y, Eliassen AH, Gaziano JM, Hofmann JN, Huang WY, Kang JH, Koshiol J, Loftfield E, Lee IM, Moore SC, Mucci LA, Neuhouser ML, Newton CC, Palmer JR, Purdue MP, Rosenberg L, Sesso HD, Shrubsole M, Tinker L, Triplette M, Um CY, Visvanathan K, Watts EL, Wactawski-Wende J, Willett W, Wu F, Zheng W, Campbell PT, Barupal D, McGlynn KA. Pre-diagnostic circulating bile acid concentrations and liver cancer risk: a nested case-control analysis of 12 cohorts. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025 Sep 01; 9(5).View Related Profiles. PMID: 40972035; PMCID: PMC12510164; DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkaf086;
     
  4. Yao S, Wei L, Hu Q, Liu S, Manojlovic Z, Fiorica PN, Long M, Zirpoli GR, Cai Q, Long J, Ping J, Barnard ME, Jin Y, Murakami M, Wang J, Zhu Q, Davis W, Chen J, Ondracek RP, Khoury T, Gandhi S, Takabe K, Ko N, Sanderson M, Hong CC, Bandera EV, Craig DW, Ambrosone CB, Palmer JR, Zheng W, Carpten JD. Mutational landscape of triple-negative breast cancer in African American women. Nat Genet. 2025 Sep; 57(9):2166-2176.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40858906; PMCID: PMC12425817; DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02322-y;
     
  5. Rothbard SM, Palmer JR, Chiu LS, Rosenberg L, Petrick JL. Fish Intake and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Relation to Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Black Women's Health Study. J Nutr. 2025 Nov; 155(11):3957-3966.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40865871; PMCID: PMC12799543; DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.08.021;
     
  6. Ping J, Jia G, Cai Q, Guo X, Wang J, Tao R, Li B, Bauer JA, Xie Y, Ambs S, Barnard ME, Chen Y, Choi JY, Gao YT, Garcia-Closas M, Gu J, Hu JJ, Iwasaki M, John EM, Kweon SS, Li CI, Matsuda K, Matsuo K, Nathanson KL, Nemesure B, Olopade OI, Pal T, Park SK, Park B, Press MF, Sanderson M, Sandler DP, Yao S, Zheng Y, Ahearn T, Brewster AM, Falusi A, Hennis AJM, Ito H, Kubo M, Lee ES, Makumbi T, Mapoko BSE, Noh DY, O'Brien KM, Ojengbede O, Olshan AF, Park MH, Reid S, Yamaji T, Zirpoli G, Butler EN, Huang M, Low SK, Obafunwa J, Weinberg CR, Zhang H, Zhao H, Ambrosone CB, Cote ML, Huo D, Haiman CA, Kang D, Palmer JR, Troester MA, Shu XO, Long J, Zheng W. Multi-Ancestry Transcriptome-wide Association Studies Uncover New Insights into Breast Cancer Genetics and Biology. medRxiv. 2025 Aug 13.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40832405; PMCID: PMC12363744; DOI: 10.1101/2025.08.12.25333509;
     
  7. Barnard ME, Qin B, Emerson MA, Holder EX, Dunn MR, Sarkar S, Xu NN, Li Y, Ambrosone CB, Bandera EV, Palmer JR, Troester MA, Hyslop T. Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2025 Aug 06; 11(1):85.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40770199; PMCID: PMC12328792; DOI: 10.1038/s41523-025-00804-0;
     
  8. Jia G, Ping J, Tao R, Long J, Liu L, Xu S, Munro HM, Ambs S, Barnard ME, Chen Y, Choi JY, Gao YT, Garcia-Closas M, Gu J, Hu JJ, Iwasaki M, John EM, Kweon SS, Matsuda K, Matsuo K, Nathanson K, Nemesure B, Olopade OI, Pal T, Park SK, Park B, Press MF, Sanderson M, Sandler DP, Yao S, Zheng Y, Adejumo PO, Ahearn T, Brewster AM, Hennis AJM, Ito H, Kubo M, Lee ES, Low SK, Makumbi T, Ndom P, Noh DY, O'Brien KM, Olshan AF, Oluwasanu MM, Park MH, Reid S, Yamaji T, Zirpoli G, Butler EN, Huang M, Ntekim A, Weinberg CR, Li B, Huo D, Kang D, Ambrosone C, Troester MA, Haiman CA, Shu XO, Palmer JR, Guo X, Zheng W. Integrating multi-ancestry genomic and proteomic data to identify blood risk biomarkers and target proteins for breast cancer genetic risk loci. Int J Cancer. 2025 Nov 15; 157(10):2071-2080.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40658085; PMCID: PMC12406259; DOI: 10.1002/ijc.70041;
     
  9. O'Brien KM, House MG, Goldberg M, Jones ME, Weinberg CR, de Gonzalez AB, Bertrand KA, Blot WJ, DeHart JC, Couch FJ, Garcia-Closas M, Giles GG, Kirsh VA, Kitahara CM, Koh WP, Park HL, Milne RL, Palmer JR, Patel AV, Rohan TE, Schoemaker MJ, Swerdlow AJ, Teras LR, Vachon C, Visvanathan K, Yuan JM, Zheng W, Nichols HB, Sandler DP. Hormone therapy use and young-onset breast cancer: a pooled analysis of prospective cohorts included in the Premenopausal Breast Cancer Collaborative Group. Lancet Oncol. 2025 Jul; 26(7):911-923.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40609572; PMCID: PMC12233149; DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00211-6;
     
  10. Zanti M, O'Mahony DG, Parsons MT, Dorling L, Dennis J, Boddicker NJ, Chen W, Hu C, Naven M, Yiangou K, Ahearn TU, Ambrosone CB, Andrulis IL, Antoniou AC, Auer PL, Baynes C, Bodelon C, Bogdanova NV, Bojesen SE, Bolla MK, Brantley KD, Camp NJ, Campbell A, Castelao JE, Cessna MH, Chang-Claude J, Chen F, Chenevix-Trench G, Conroy DM, Czene K, De Nicolo A, Domchek SM, Dörk T, Dunning AM, Eliassen AH, Evans DG, Fasching PA, Figueroa JD, Flyger H, Gago-Dominguez M, García-Closas M, Glendon G, González-Neira A, Grassmann F, Hadjisavvas A, Haiman CA, Hamann U, Hart SN, Hartman MBA, Ho WK, Hodge JM, Hoppe R, Howell SJ, Jakubowska A, Khusnutdinova EK, Ko YD, Kraft P, Kristensen VN, Lacey JV, Li J, Lim GH, Lindström S, Lophatananon A, Luccarini C, Mannermaa A, Martinez ME, Mavroudis D, Milne RL, Muir K, Nathanson KL, Nuñez-Torres R, Obi N, Olson JE, Palmer JR, Panayiotidis MI, Patel AV, Pharoah PDP, Polley EC, Rashid MU, Ruddy KJ, Saloustros E, Sawyer EJ, Schmidt MK, Southey MC, Tan VK, Teo SH, Teras LR, Torres D, Trentham-Dietz A, Truong T, Vachon CM, Wang Q, Weitzel JN, Yadav S, Yao S, Zirpoli GR, Cline MS, Devilee P, Tavtigian SV, Goldgar DE, Couch FJ, Easton DF, Spurdle AB, Michailidou K. Analysis of more than 400,000 women provides case-control evidence for BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant classification. Nat Commun. 2025 May 25; 16(1):4852.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40413188; PMCID: PMC12103537; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59979-6;
     
Showing 10 of 502 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 501 publications over 40 distinct years, with a maximum of 34 publications in 2016

YearPublications
19861
19872
19882
19895
19907
19916
19925
19934
19943
19955
19962
19973
19985
19996
20008
20019
20025
20039
20045
200510
200616
200714
20089
200911
201018
201115
201220
201325
201417
201522
201634
201725
201821
201910
202023
202127
202218
202331
202420
202523


Breast cancer month panel with Drs. Julie Palmer and Ann Partridge

WGBH 10/22/2024

Heightened Cancer Risks For Black Women Under 50: Here Is What To Know And Do About It

Rickey Smiley Morning Show 6/14/2024

The Longest Running Study of Black Women's Health Just Shared Some Major Results

The Root 11/27/2023

For nearly 30 years, Boston University has led the largest and longest-running study of Black women’s health, shining a light on tragic disparities and showing women their lives matter

BU Today 10/31/2023

Black women face deadly racial disparities in breast cancer

The Hill 10/25/2023

Boston doctor pioneers new breast cancer screening test focused on Black community

WCVB 11/8/2022

Navigating the Black-White Divide in Breast Cancer Deaths

U.S. News & World Report 10/13/2022

Neighborhood Adversity Associated With Increased Risk of ER- Breast Cancer, TNBC for Black Women in the United States

Pharmacy Times 9/21/2022

Changes to lung cancer screening increase eligibility for Black women by 50 percent, study says

The Hill 1/7/2022

Relaxed Hair Has Made a Comeback on Social Media, Reigniting a Debate on the Straight Style

PopSugar 11/23/2021

Tool could close gap in breast cancer prediction for Black women

Futurity 11/2/2021

BU researchers develop a risk prediction model for breast cancer in Black women

News Medical 10/29/2021

Vitamin D Deficiency Could Raise Colon Cancer Risk in Black Women

Black Doctor 10/28/2021

Too Little Vitamin D Could Raise Colon Cancer Risk in Black Women

HealthDay 10/27/2021

For Black Women, New Online Prediction Tool Could Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths

BU Today 10/26/2021

Breast Cancer Prediction Tool for US Black Women Eases Risk Stratification

Medscape 10/20/2021

Boston University researchers develop breast cancer prediction tool for Black women

WCVB 10/8/2021

‘We can’t ever go to the doctor with our guard down’: Why Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer

Fortune 6/30/2020

African-American, White Women Share Genetic Mutations Linked to Breast Cancer

UPI 5/19/2020

Tooth Loss Linked To Greater Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Among African American Women

MedicalResearch.com 3/28/2019

2023-2025 Breast Cancer Research Foundation: Breast Cancer Research Foundation Investigator
2019 Boston University School of Medicine: Karin Grunebaum Professor in Cancer Research
2018-2027 Susan G. Komen Foundation: Komen Scholar
2017 American Association for Cancer Research: AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
2011 National Cancer Institute: Outstanding Service Award
2011 Boston University School of Public Health: Distinguished Alumni Award
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

cancer epidemiology
health disparities
breast cancer subtypes
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Boston MA 02118
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