The Population Facing Research Core supports research in population science that:
- provides a high degree of rigor and reproducibility with regards to biomarker and tissue analysis
- integrates new biomarkers with population and prevention studies
- integrates novel technology such as point-of-care device analyte analysis, imaging for tissue and cell segmentation, or satellite imagery deep learning analytics for exposure assessment
- translates to multiple levels of scale from omics to the social/built environment
- facilitates collaborations between Population Science and researchers in the other four COH CCSG programs and external institutions such as TGEN, Caltech, and JPL
The PFR Core provides consultation and resources to facilitate research that goes beyond associations to define and test mechanisms. By making several types of data such as omics or environmental data available to researchers who ordinarily would not be able to access them, the PFR Core hopes to encourage more multi-scale and translational research.


Associate Professor, Department of Population Sciences
Full Bio


Victoria Seewaldt, M.D., the Ruth Ziegler Chair and professor in the Department of Population Sciences, is an accomplished clinician and researcher devoted to improving her patients' lives and the community at large. She has led community outreach education efforts on cancer prevention through personal well-being and directed research to find biomarkers that can be used for early cancer detection, particularly triple-negative breast cancers that are exceptionally resistant to treatment. Full Bio
Jesuchristopher Joseph, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
jjoseph@coh.org
626-218-3491, ext. 83491
Meagan Razo, B.S., HT (ASCP)
Research Associate II
mrazo@coh.org
626-218-0684, ext. 80684
Calvin Tribby, Ph.D.
GIS Analyst
ctribby@coh.org
Contact the Team
To request or initiate services, please login or register via iLab Solutions. For any additional questions, please contact Victoria Seewaldt.
The core offers services in six primary areas:
- ancestry analysis
- biomarker analysis
- geospatial services and analysis
Please visit the City of Hope Spatial Datasets Hub for current and historical geospatial data on environmental, social, cultural, and health-related topics, as well as a spatial overview of the COH catchment area. Data are available for a variety of spatial scales and extents (depending on source). View existing Geospatial Data Sets. - wearable sensors for behavior monitoring
- cell/tissue image processing
The PFR Core staff are leading experts in a variety of disciplines and have extensive experience with multi-scale and translational research. Funding for the core is provided by City of Hope’s Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), which is funded by the National Cancer Institute and by additional institutional support.
The Population Facing Research (PFR) Core facilitates research that integrates analyses at several different scales to provide insight into cancer. Services include genetic ancestry analysis, cellular microenvironments and microarrays, biomarker validation (including digital analysis of cell/tissue images and immunohistochemistry), geospatial analysis, and wearable sensors for behavior monitoring. The PFR Core is advised by faculty experts in each area and provides mentorship around designing studies and basic training in analytic software like R and Python so that researchers can better interpret their results.
The PFR Core utilizes Pathcore and VisioPharm for image analysis and is equipped with the following:
- Biocare IntelliPath Automated Immunostainer
- ePathology Scanner AT2 (slide scanner)
- Quanterix 2470 Arrayer
- Photolithography rig
- microdissecting scope
- Tissue-Tek Prisma Plus Automated Slide Stainer (autostainer)
- Tissue-Tek TEC 6 (tissue embedder)
- Tissue Tek VIP 6 AI Vacuum Infiltration Processor (tissue processer)
- Tissue-Tek Cryo3 Flex Cryostat (cryostat)
- Genotyping platforms
To request or initiate services, please login or register via iLab Solutions. For questions about ancestry, biomarker, and microarray applications contact Victoria Seewaldt at vseewaldt@coh.org. For questions about geospatial and sensor analytics contact Marta Jankowska at mjankowska@coh.org.
- Biocare IntelliPath automated immunostainer
- ePathology Scanner AT2 (slide scanner)
- Quanterix 2470 arrayer
- Photolithography rig
- Microdissecting scope
- Tissue-Tek Prisma Plus automated slide stainer (autostainer)
- Tissue-Tek TEC 6 (tissue embedder)
- Tissue Tek VIP 6 AI vacuum infiltration processor (tissue processer)
- Tissue-Tek Cryo3 flex cryostat (cryostat)
- Genotyping platforms