Find a Laboratory Philip Lupo, PhD, MPH

Dr. Philip Lupo is a molecular epidemiologist whose research interests include:

1. Understanding the risk of cancer among children with structural birth defects
2. Characterizing genetic susceptibility to pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma
3. Phenomic and genomic studies of structural birth defects
4. Addressing disparities in acute lymphoblastic leukemia susceptibility and outcomes

Dr. Lupo is Director of the Epidemiology and Population Sciences Program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Epidemiology Committee, and has served in various capacities in the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), including President and Chair of the Data Committee.

Dr. Lupo has a particular interest in the use of novel epidemiologic study designs and methods in determining the etiology of rare pediatric conditions. Examples of his ongoing research include:

1. the COG-supported Genetics of Embryonal and Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (GEARS), where children diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma and their families are actively being enrolled throughout North America to better understand genetic susceptibility to this frequently fatal malignancy;
2. the Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Acute Leukemia (REDIAL) Consortium, whose goal is to improve outcomes among Latino children diagnosed with acute leukemia;
3. the Genetic Overlap Between Anomalies and Cancer in Kids (GOBACK) study, a multistate collaboration evaluating the risk of cancer in children with birth defects; and
4. the NIH-funded Genetic Epidemiology of Multiple Malformation Syndrome (GEMMS) Study, where Dr. Lupo and his colleagues are leveraging data from birth defects surveillance programs to identify novel multiple congenital anomaly syndromes.

The ultimate goal of Dr. Lupo’s research is to discover factors that can be used in new prevention efforts and targeted interventions to limit the adverse consequences of pediatric diseases.

Health conditions researched
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Cancer risk in children with birth defects
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Congenital conditions