Alice Berger, PhD

Research Project:
Population Immunogenetic Drivers of Lung Cancer in Never-Smokers

Grant Awarded:

Lung Cancer Discovery Award

Research Topics:

basic biologic mechanisms
computational biology
risk factors

Research Disease:

lung cancer

Lung cancer can develop in people who have never smoked and this type of cancer has its own unique biology compared to lung cancer caused by tobacco. Both environmental factors like air pollution and individuals’ genetic (inherited) differences affect how these tumors grow and change. In this study, we will analyze data from nearly 900 lung cancer patients who never smoked, from across the world. By analyzing their DNA and tumor samples, we will learn how inherited immune genes along with environmental exposures influence lung cancer risk and biology. This work is a collaboration between Dr. Alice Berger, a lung cancer geneticist, and Dr. Vanessa Jonsson, a cancer immunologist and computational biologist, working together to answer one of the biggest questions in cancer research: why do some people get lung cancer even if they never have smoked? The findings could help to better predict, prevent or treat lung cancer through a better understanding of how genes and the environment interact to shape cancer risk.

Beth Conner Lung Cancer Discovery Award

Page last updated: September 28, 2026

Alice Berger, PhD

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