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 5/2/2025

    Omofuma OO, Rusiecki JA, Petrick JL, Falk RT, Wheeler W, Pfeiffer RM, Camargo MC, Cook MB. Circulating Inflammation Biomarkers and the Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A Nested Case-Control Study in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 May 02; 34(5):649-657. PMID: 40079721.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/12/2025

    Watling CZ, Wojt A, Florio AA, Butera G, Albanes D, Weinstein SJ, Huang WY, Parisi D, Zhang X, Graubard BI, Petrick JL, McGlynn KA. Reply: Fiber and whole grain intakes in relation to liver cancer risk-An analysis in 2 prospective cohorts and systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Hepatology. 2025 Mar 12. PMID: 40073273.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/14/2025

    Watling CZ, Hua X, Petrick JL, Zhang X, Do WL, Wang L, Maestri E, Yu K, Wang XW, McGlynn KA. Pan-serological antibodies and liver cancer risk: a nested case-control analysis. Sci Rep. 2025 Feb 14; 15(1):5450. PMID: 39953193.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/23/2025

    Shan Y, Bertrand KA, Petrick JL, Sheehy S, Palmer JR. Planetary Health Diet Index in relation to mortality in a prospective cohort study of United States Black females. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025 Mar; 121(3):589-596. PMID: 39863116.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/5/2024

    Watling CZ, Kelly RK, Watts EL, Graubard BI, Petrick JL, Matthews CE, McGlynn KA. Total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and free testosterone concentrations and risk of primary liver cancer: A prospective analysis of 200,000 men and 180,000 postmenopausal women. Int J Cancer. 2025 Apr 15; 156(8):1518-1528. PMID: 39499225.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 104 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

View all profiles