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ScholarsBetaWeill Cornell Medicine

Overview

Dr. Zhou is a biostatistician whose research focuses on developing and applying innovative statistical methods to improve the design and analysis of laboratory, translational, and clinical studies in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Her methodological interests include Bayesian hierarchical modeling, variable selection and model averaging, predictive modeling, inference for high-dimensional and large-scale data, and innovative clinical trial design.

She has developed statistical methods for the analysis of complex biomedical data and the design of randomized and nonrandomized studies. Her methodological and computational contributions include a Bayesian hierarchical model for classifying missense mutations in disease-susceptibility genes; a Bayesian method for estimating minimum inhibitory concentrations from growth-curve data; a Bayesian model-averaging approach for analyzing observational gene-expression and metabolomics data; and an improved Bayesian pick-the-winner (IBPW) design for randomized phase II clinical trials.

Dr. Zhou collaborates extensively with laboratory investigators and clinicians at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has contributed to the design, analysis, and interpretation of a broad range of cancer-related laboratory, translational, and clinical studies and has served as lead biostatistician for NIH-funded cancer prevention clinical trials. She provides biostatistical leadership to the Department of Radiation Oncology and to the Breast Cancer and Thoracic Cancer Disease Management Teams at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center.

She also promotes scientific rigor through her service on the Meyer Cancer Center Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee and the National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention and Control Central Institutional Review Board. In addition, she serves as a consulting biostatistical editor for the Journal of Experimental Medicine and as a member of the Journal of Clinical Oncology Biostatistics Board.

Committed to education and mentorship, Dr. Zhou served as Faculty Director of the MS Program in Biostatistics and Data Science from 2020 to 2025 and has been a course director since the program’s inception. She also mentors residents, fellows, and junior faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Highlights

  1. 1
    Statistics in medicine · 2026
    NKNasser K AltorkiXKXi Kathy Zhou
    PMID: 41569686PMCID: PMC12826356DOISenior author

Publications

120 publications

Funding

47 grantsView NIH portfolio on RePORTER ↗

Active

18 grants
  • Co-I
    Caloric restriction to enhance cancer immunoprevention
    National Cancer Institute · 2026–2031
    R01CA311885-01
  • Co-I
    The role of early oncogenic drivers in maintaining lineage fidelity in prostate cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2025–2030
    R01CA301637-01
  • KP
    Dietary and Pharmacologic Interventions to Optimize Weight in Individuals with Breast Cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2026–2028
    BCRF-26-154
  • Co-I
    Application of 4D proteomics and super-resolution microscopy in extracellular vesicle and particle-borne biomarker discovery for early pancreatic cancer detection
    National Cancer Institute · 2017–2028· 2 renewals
    R01CA218513-06A1
  • Co-I
    Targeting the BCL2 immune checkpoint to enhance the immunostimulatory effects of radiation in breast cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2023–2028
    R01CA271915-01A1
  • Co-I
    Targeting Ovarian Cancer Metastasis: From Pre-metastatic Niches to Liquid Biopsies
    Pershing Square Foundation · 2025–2028
    PSF 251938-01
  • Co-I
    Fatty acid metabolic regulation of anti-tumor immunity against irradiated glioblastoma
    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2023–2028
    R01NS131945-01
  • KP
    Cancer Cell Intrinsic Interferon-I pathway Activation by Fractionated Radiation
    National Cancer Institute · 2016–2027· 2 renewals
    R01CA201246-06
  • Co-I
    Dynamics of Immune Response in Irradiated Rectal Cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2022–2027
    U54CA274291-01
  • Co-I
    Extending the survival of HR+ breast cancer patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors by targeting IL17-producing gamma delta T cells
    U.S. Department of Defense · 2022–2027
    W81XWH-22-1-0506
  • KP
    Development of Small Molecule therapeutics targeting AR-V7 for prostate cancer.
    National Cancer Institute · 2024–2027 · via Arma Bio, Inc.
    R42CA290913-01
  • KP
    Precision use of radiation for in situ cancer immunization
    National Cancer Institute · 2025–2027
    R21CA292282-01A1
  • KP
    Correlative biomarkers to optimize breast cancer treatment and prevention strategies
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2024–2026
    BCRF-24-154
  • Co-I
    Microbiota, Metabolites, and Colon Neoplasia
    National Cancer Institute · 2021–2026 · via University of Connecticut
    R01CA252045-02
  • Co-I
    Development of novel preclinical models and therapeutics for ETMR
    Children's Cancer Research Fund · 2023–2026
    CCRF 226613-01
  • Co-I
    Role of FAP-positive cells in immune response to irradiated glioblastoma
    National Cancer Institute · 2023–2026
    R21CA280787-01
  • MPI
    Dissecting the interplay between immunoglobulin G and the gut microbiome in cancer progression and metastasis
    National Cancer Institute · 2023–2025
    R21CA270998-02
  • Co-I
    Defining the role of stress-induced changes in the IgG-gut microbiomeneutrophil axis during breast cancer progression and metastasis
    Starr Cancer Consortium · 2023–2025
    SCC I16-0057
Completed grants (29)
  • KP
    Tumor Derived Cell-Free Dna (CfDNA ) For Early-Cancer Detection and Interception in Lynch Syndrome
    Starr Cancer Consortium · 2021–2024
    SCC I14-0042
  • Co-I
    Elucidating the Role of MALAT1 Somatic Driver Mutations in Colorectal Cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2018–2024
    R01CA227722-01A1
  • KP
    Optimization of immune checkpoint inhibition during radiation-induced vaccination in breast cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2023–2024
    BCRF-23-053
  • Co-I
    Neoantigen Vaccination for Lynch Syndrome Immunoprevention
    National Cancer Institute · 2018–2024
    U01CA233056-01
  • Co-I
    (PQ1) Adaptive immune and microbial mechanisms regulating Lynch syndrome penetrance
    National Cancer Institute · 2018–2024
    R01CA231283-01
  • KP
    Optimization of immune checkpoint inhibition during radiation-induced vaccination in breast cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2022–2023
    BCRF-22-053
  • KP
    Characterization of Premalignant Fields in a Murine Model of Head and Neck and Esophageal Cancers
    National Cancer Institute · 2016–2023
    R01CA205258-01
  • Co-I
    Obesity Increases Breast Cancer Penetrance in BRCA Mutation Carriers: A Role for Local and Systemic Factors
    National Cancer Institute · 2017–2023
    R01CA215797-02
  • KP
    Breaking through immune resistance of HR+ breast cancer
    U.S. Department of Defense · 2019–2023
    No publications yet
    W81XWH1910101
  • Co-I
    Anti-Fusobacterium Nucleatum Vaccine for Colorectal Cancer (TASK 4)
    National Cancer Institute · 2016–2022
    HHSN261201500039I-HHSN26100004
  • Co-I
    Targeting Adipose Inflammation: A Rational Approach to Preventing Breast Cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2019–2021
    BCRF-20-034
  • PI
    dbgap project #25442: "Obesity, inflammation and disease"
    Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes · 2020–2021
    DUA 204346-01
  • KP
    Longitudinal Assessment of Ovarian Reserve in Adolescents with Lymphoma
    Leukemia & Lymphoma Society · 2017–2020
    LLS 170808-01
  • KP
    Mechanistic Insights Underlying ERG-Induced Taxane Resistance in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2014–2020
    R01CA179100-05
  • PI
    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Biostatistical Core Consulting Agreement
    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · 2018–2019Contract
    CA 191540-01
  • Co-I
    Targeting Adipose Inflammation: A Rational Approach to Preventing Breast Cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2018–2019
    BCRF-18-034
  • PI
    Statistical Analysis and Comprehension of the Human Cell Atlas in R / Bioconductor: Access and Scalable Infrastructure
    Chan Zuckerberg Initiative · 2018–2019
    SVCF 182891-01
  • KP
    Exosome-Mediated Transfer of c-MET to Bone Marrow Progenitors Promotes Metastasis
    National Cancer Institute · 2013–2019
    R01CA169416-03
  • Co-I
    Targeting Adipose Inflammation: A Rational Approach to Preventing Breast Cancer
    Breast Cancer Research Foundation · 2017–2018
    BCRF 17-034
  • KP
    Modeling KSHV Latency in vivo
    National Cancer Institute · 2012–2018
    R01CA103646-07
  • KP
    Metabo-Inflammation and the Obesity Paradox in Kidney Cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2017–2017 · via Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research
    P30CA008748-51
  • KP
    Phase II Study of (DHA) in Patients With a History of Breast Cancer, Premalignant Lesions or Benign Breast Disease
    National Cancer Institute · 2014–2016 · via MD Anderson Cancer Center
    HHSN26120120034I
  • KP
    SPORE in Prostate Cancer: Obesity and Peri-Prostatic Adipose Inflammation, a Potentially Reversible Process
    National Cancer Institute · 2014–2016 · via Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research
    P50CA092629-15
  • KP
    Targeting the Obesity-Inflammation-COX-Aromatase Axis to Lower Breast Cancer Risk
    National Cancer Institute · 2011–2016
    R01CA154481-05
  • KP
    Microtubule Dependent AR Signaling Predicts Taxane Sensitivity
    National Cancer Institute · 2009–2016
    R01CA137020-04
  • KP
    Natural History and Pathogenesis of HPV/HIV Co-Infection in Haiti
    National Cancer Institute · 2010–2014
    R01CA142422-03
  • KP
    Beta-Catenin/TCF Signaling in Breast Cancer
    National Cancer Institute · 2008–2014
    R01CA131219-01A1
  • KP
    Modulation of Arachidonic Acid Metabolism by Chemopreventive Agents in Smokers
    National Cancer Institute · 2009–2012 · via MD Anderson Cancer Center
    N01CN035159-07
  • PI
    Comprehensive Prognostic Modeling for Esophageal Cancer: A Bayesian Approach
    NCI · 2009–2012 · via NIH RePORTER
    R21CA133260-02

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Mentoring

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