Kimberly A. Bertrand, ScD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
kab15@bu.edu
Education:
ScB, 1999, Biology, Brown University
MPH, 2005, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health
ScD, 2010, Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Research interests:
Dr. Bertrand’s research focuses on the epidemiology of cancer, with an emphasis on understanding and addressing racial disparities in incidence and outcomes. She is Multiple Principal Investigator of the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), a prospective cohort of 59,000 self-identified Black women followed since 1995. She seeks to elucidate how modifiable environmental, social, and behavioral factors influence risk for breast and other cancers in this population, which is disproportionately burdened by many cancer types. Dr. Bertrand’s current work leverages digital mammograms, genetic data, and deep learning methods to improve breast cancer risk prediction in diverse populations. In addition, she leads research to identify biological, behavioral, and contextual factors underlying racial disparities in multiple myeloma and its precursor, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).
Active studies:
- A Follow-up Study for Causes of Cancer in Black Women
09/01/2022 – 08/31/2027 (Multi-PI)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5U01CA164974-15
- Advancing breast cancer risk prediction in national cohorts: the role of mammogram-based deep learning
09/21/2023 – 08/31/2026 (Multi-PI)
Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York ← NIH NCI
5U01CA276553-02
- Determinants of the racial/ethnic disparity in MGUS risk: An epidemiologic study in 4 cohorts
09/20/2021 – 08/31/2026 (Multi-PI)
University of California, Irvine ← NIH NCI
5R01CA260615-04
- Socio-environmental context in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) disparities
06/01/2021 – 05/31/2026 (Contact PI)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5R01CA249982-05
- Geospatially modeled environmental risk factors for lymphoid malignancies
01/15/2024 – 10/31/2028 (Subcontract PI)
The Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Inc. ← NIH NIEHS
5R01ES034079-02
- A prediction model to simultaneously estimate personal risk of breast cancer and death from other causes in women aged 55 and older
08/01/2020 – 04/30/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc. ← NIH NCI
5R01CA242747-03
- Testing scalable communication modalities for returning breast cancer genetic research results to African American women
06/12/2020 – 11/30/2025 (Co-I)
NIH NIMHD
5R01MD014312-04
- Comprehensive molecular characterization of endometrial cancer, etiologic heterogeneity, and racial disparities
02/05/2021 – 01/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
The Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Inc. ← NIH NCI
5U01CA250476-05
Selected recent publications:
- Holder EX, Szalat R, Palmer JR, Bertrand KA. Neighborhood disadvantage and multiple myeloma incidence in the Black Women’s Health Study. Int J Epidemiol. In Press.
- Schoemaker MJ, Ellington T, Nichols HB, Wright LB, Jones ME, O’Brien KM, Weinberg CR, Adami HO, Baglietto L, Bertrand KA, Chen Y, Clague DeHart J, Eliassen AH, Giles GG, Houghton SC, Kirsh VA, Milne RL, Palmer JR, Park HL, Rohan TE, Severi G, Shu XO, Tamimi RM, Vatten LJ, Weiderpass E, Willett WC, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zheng W, Sandler DP, Swerdlow AJ; Premenopausal Breast Cancer Collaborative Group. Central and peripheral adiposity and premenopausal breast cancer risk: a pooled analysis of 440,179 women. Breast Cancer Res. 2025;27(1):55.
- Holder EX, Bigham Z, Nelson KP, Barnard ME, Palmer JR, Bertrand KA. Mammographic density and breast cancer risk among Black American women. Int J Cancer. 2025 Mar 15;156(6):1173-1180.
- Peeri NC, Bertrand KA, Na R, De Vivo I, Setiawan VW, Seshan VE, Alemany L, Chen Y, Clarke MA, Clendenen T, Cook LS, Costas L, Dal Maso L, Freudenheim JL, Friedenreich CM, Gierach GL, Goodman MT, La Vecchia C, Levi F, Lopez-Querol M, Lu L, Moysich KB, Mutter G, Naduparambil J, Negri E, O’Connell K, O’Mara T, Palmer JR, Parazzini F, Penney KL, Petruzella S, Reynolds P, Ricceri F, Risch H, Rohan TE, Sacerdote C, Sandin S, Shu XO, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Webb PM, Wentzensen N, Wilkens LR, Xu W, Yu H, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Zheng W, Guo X, Lipworth L, Du M. Understanding risk factors for endometrial cancer in young women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025;117(1):76-88.
- Wang SS, Bertrand KA, Deubler EL, Chao CR, Birmann BM, Teras LR, Rosnber BA, McCullough ML, Shu Y-H, Wang K, Zhong C, Cauble EL, Patel AV, Lacey JV, Cockburn M. Prospective pooled analyses of ambient ultraviolet radiation exposure and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Am J Epidemiol. Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Dec 24;[Epub ahead of print].
- Bigham Z, Holder EX, Rodday AM, Breeze J, Nelson KP, Palmer JR, Bertrand KA. Lifecourse growth and development determinants of mammographic density in Black women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2024;33(12):1640-1650.
- Kataria Y, Niharika Pillalamarri B, Zirpoli G, Szalat R, Palmer J, Bertrand KA. Body size and risk of multiple myeloma in the Black Women’s Health Study. Br J Cancer. 2024;130(5):830-835.
- Troisi R, Bertrand K, Hatch EE, Strohsnitter WC, Aagaard K, Robboy SJ, Gierach G, Titus L. An update on prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the lower genital tract. Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Apr 1;143(4):603-606.
- Bertrand KA, Delp L, Coogan PF, Cozier YC, Lenzy YM, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR. Hair relaxer use and risk of uterine cancer in the Black Women’s Health Study. Environ Res. 2023 Dec 15;239(Pt 1):117228.
- Ruiz Lopez JN, McNeil GE, Zirpoli G, Palmer JR, Kataria Y, Bertrand KA. Vitamin D and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) among U.S. Black women. Cancer Causes Control. 2024;35(2):277-279.
- Bertrand KA, Zirpoli G, Niharika Pillalamarri B, Szalat R, Palmer JR, Kataria Y. Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in US Black women. Am J Hematology. 2022;97(9):E341-E343. PMID: 35723873.
- Bertrand KA, Teras LR, Deubler EL, Chao CR, Rosner BA, Wang K, Zhong C, Wang SS, Birmann BM. Anthropometric traits and risk of multiple myeloma: a pooled prospective analysis. Br J Cancer. 2022;127(7):1296-1303. PMID: 35840735; PMCID: PMC9519635.
- Bigham Z, Robles Y, Freund KM, Palmer JR, Bertrand KA. Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy and risk of breast cancer in the Black Women’s Health Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Jul;194(1):127-135. PMID: 35478297; PMCID: PMC9190198.
- Barber LE, Zirpoli GR, Cozier YC, Rosenberg L, Petrick JL, Bertrand KA, Palmer JR. Neighborhood disadvantage and individual-level life stressors in relation to breast cancer incidence in US Black women. Breast Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 22;23(1):108. PMID: 34809694; PMCID: PMC8609879.
- Kim SE, Bachorik AE, Bertrand KA,* Gunn CM.* Differences in breast cancer screening practices by diabetes status and race/ethnicity in the United States. J Womens Health. 2022 Jun;31(6):848-855. PMID: 34935471. *co-first authors.
- Palmer JR, Zirpoli G, Bertrand KA, Battaglia T, Bernstein L, Ambrosone CB, Bandera EV, Troester MA, Rosenberg L, Pfeiffer RM, Trinquart L. A validated risk prediction model for breast cancer in U.S. Black women. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 1;39(34):3866-3877. PMID: 34623926; PMCID: PMC8608262.
- Coogan PF, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR, Cozier YC, Lenzy YM, Bertrand KA. Hair product use and breast cancer incidence in the Black Women’s Health Study. Carcinogenesis. 2021 Jul 16;42(7):924-930. PMID: 34013957; PMCID: PMC8496025.
- Bertrand KA, Bethea TN, Gerlovin H, Coogan PF, Barber L, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR. Aspirin use and risk of breast cancer in African American women. Breast Cancer Res. 2020;22(1):96. PMID: 32887656; PMCID: PMC7650295.
- Bertrand KA, Bethea TN, Rosenberg L, Bandera EV, Khoury T, Troester MA, Ambrosone CB, Palmer JR. Risk factors for estrogen receptor positive ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast in African American women. Breast. 2020;49:108-114. PMID: 31786415; PMCID: PMC7012668.
- VoPham T, Bertrand KA, Jones RR, Deziel NC, DuPré NC, James P, Liu Y, Vieira VM, Tamimi RM, Hart JE, Ward MH, Laden F. Dioxin exposure and breast cancer risk in a prospective cohort study. Environ Res. 2020 Apr 13;186:109516. PMID: 32305677; PMCID: PMC7363533.