Larissa White, PhD, MPH, CPH

Investigator

Larissa White, PhD, MPH, CPH, is an Investigator at the Institute for Health Research. Dr. White’s research focuses on cancer epidemiology and health services, with a special interest in prevention, genetic susceptibility/risk assessment, early detection, and diagnosis of gynecologic, peritoneal, and gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. White currently leads a consortia of four Kaiser Permanente regions (Georgia, Hawaii, Northwest and Colorado) working with the National Cancer Institute and other health plans around the country to assemble a prospective cohort that will include up to 200,000 cancer-free adults followed over several decades with serial biospecimen collection.

Dr. White completed her doctoral training in public health and epidemiology at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she also received her Master of Public Health degree. Her past research includes disparities in diagnosis of cancer of unknown primary (CUP), and disparities in screening and diagnosis of cervical cancer. Dr. White also completed field work in infectious disease diagnosis and care, including HIV/AIDS and tropical diseases.

Selected Research:

  • A New Prospective U.S. Cohort Set Within Health Care System Institutions to Study Cancer (The Connect Study)

    • This project is a collaboration of 4 Kaiser Permanente (KP) regions (Georgia, Hawaii, Northwest and Colorado) participating in the assembly of a prospective multi-center cohort study that will include up to 200,000 cancer-free adults aged 40-65 years. This cohort will serve an invaluable function in the conduct of research into cancer etiology and prevention. Kaiser Permanente represents the ideal environment to conduct this research as a pioneer in electronic medical record (EMR) technology and our decades of experience conducting research in these defined populations. We will capitalize upon these resources and experience to recruit KP members as part of this complex, intensive, prospective cohort study. https://www.cancer.gov/connect-prevention-study/

    • Funder: National Cancer Institute
    • Study End Date: 11/03/2028

  • Improving Strategies for Cancer Reduction Through Early-detection and Engagement (I-SCREEN)

    • To reduce cancer-related mortality by rapidly investigating emerging, novel screening technologies in diverse study cohorts to ensure that efficacious new technologies have broad reach to decrease, and not widen, cancer-related health disparities.

    • Funder: National Cancer Institute
    • Study End Date: 12/31/2027

  • Breast Cancer Survivors Cohort

    • To develop a cohort of female breast cancer survivors at four Kaiser Permanente sites with detailed data on cancer treatments for their first breast cancer, mammographic screening and their outcomes including breast cancer recurrence, second cancers and cause of death.

    • Funder: National Cancer Institute
    • Study End Date: 08/31/2025

  • Genetic Risk Analysis in Ovarian Cancer (GRACE)

    • To implement and assess the feasibility of an ovarian cancer traceback testing program, an approach that identifies living and deceased patients with a prior diagnosis of ovarian cancer who may have an unrecognized pathogenic genetic variant associated with increased cancer risk and offer genetic testing to the proband and their family members to improve detection.

    • Funder: National Cancer Institute
    • Study End Date: 02/29/2025

  • Use of cell-free DNA in Early Detection of Lung Cancer

    • To prospectively evaluate whether we can detect lung cancer at the time of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using Guardant Health’s LUNAR-2 assay.

    • Funder: Guardant Health
    • Study End Date: 06/30/2025