Qun Niu

I graduated with a BS. in Biology from Xinjiang University,in Urumqi, P.R. China. I came to U.S.A in 1989. Afterward I worked for a couple of years as lab tech at Purdue University and at the University of Chicago Hospitals. I joined Dr. Olopade's lab in 2002 where I study the genetics of breast cancer.

Currently I am managing the sample collection we are developing to characterize the BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants in a cohort of Nigerian breast cancer patients. Ultimately, these variants will be a resource for identifying novel deleterious alleles and cancer risks associated with different genetic backgrounds. Because these variants may reveal epidemiologically meaningful gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, these studies complement my on-going interest in breast cancer prevention through life-style changes.