Jessica Petrick, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Jessica Petrick’s research program focuses on the epidemiology of gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal, liver, and esophageal. Dr. Petrick became a co-Investigator with the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS) in 2019, but she has been collaborating with BWHS since she began her post-doctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2014. BWHS is a member of the NCI Cancer Cohort Consortium and participated in the Liver Cancer Pooling Project, within which Dr. Petrick led numerous studies. The emphasis of her current research portfolio is on nutritional and molecular factors, including the metabolome and microbiome, which may contribute to racial disparities along the cancer continuum—from precursor lesions to invasive cancer through mortality.

Publications

  • Published 7/10/2026

    Watling CZ, Watts EL, Loftfield E, Graubard BI, Hong HG, Zhang X, Barnett MJ, Buring JE, Barnard ME, Chen Y, Eliassen AH, Gaziano JM, Hofmann JN, Huang WY, Kang JH, Koshiol J, Lee IM, Moore SC, Mucci LA, Neuhouser ML, Newton CC, Purdue MP, Sesso HD, Shrubsole M, Sinha R, Tinker L, Triplette M, Um CY, Visvanathan K, Wactawski-Wende J, Willett WC, Wu F, Zheng W, Campbell PT, Barupal D, Petrick JL, Mcglynn KA. Circulating pre-diagnostic metabolites and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a population-based study of 12 cohorts. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026 Jul 10. PMID: 42429571.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/25/2026

    Beachler DC, Parlett LE, Petrick JL, Lanes S, Barron J, Debono D, Fisch MJ. Comparative risk factors among pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients vs. neuroendocrine and other pancreatic cancer patients. Cancer Causes Control. 2026 Jun 25; 37(7). PMID: 42347880.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/1/2026

    Watling CZ, Zhao L, Zhang X, Deubler E, Gonzalez-Feliciano AG, Graubard BI, Petrick JL, Wojt A, Butera G, Hofmann JN, Beane Freeman LE, Shrubsole MJ, Zheng W, Sudenga SL, Schernhammer E, Eliassen AH, Mucci LA, Sesso HD, Sinha R, Loftfield E, Um CY, McCullough ML, Jenab M, Zhang X, McGlynn KA. Artificially Sweetened and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake and Risk of Liver Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Jun 01; 9(6):e2617754. PMID: 42268607.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/5/2026

    Petrick JL, Castro-Webb N, Zirpoli GR, Nelson KP, Palmer JR, Pfeiffer RM. Validation of a colorectal cancer risk prediction model in US Black women. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2026 May 05. PMID: 42083882.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/22/2026

    Huang Y, Santoni G, Petrick JL, Wocalewski V, Sparrelid E, Xie SH. Menopausal hormone therapy and risk of liver cancer in a swedish population-based cohort study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026 Mar 22. PMID: 41866298.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 119 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Center Faculty Member, Slone Epidemiology Center
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Websites

Education

  • University of North Carolina, PhD
  • Case Western Reserve University, MPH
  • Case Western Reserve University, BS

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