Rate My Professor Jiali Han

Jiali Han, PhD, serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University Indianapolis, a position he has held since moving from Harvard in 2013. He also holds the Rachel Cecile Efroymson Professorship in Cancer Research at the Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as Adjunct Professor of Dermatology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Additionally, he directs the Epidemiology PhD Program and the Epidemiology Consultation Core at the IU Simon Cancer Center. Dr. Han earned his PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health from Harvard University in 2004, following a BS in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology from Nankai University. Before joining Indiana University, he was Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and Associate Professor of Medicine and Dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Han's research focuses on genetic and molecular epidemiology of cancer, encompassing etiology, prevention, and outcomes. He leads international consortia on genetic susceptibility to keratinocyte carcinoma, post-genome-wide association study analyses of skin cancer-related genetic variants, and studies on cancer screening strategies in global health settings. His work also includes pharmaco-epidemiology, real-world evidence research, opioid response-mediated addictive behaviors in tanning bed users, sports and exercise epidemiology, and community-built environments for wellbeing. As principal investigator on a dozen NIH grants and key investigator on multiple others, he has authored over 240 original research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Notable publications include "A genome-wide association study identifies novel alleles associated with hair color and skin pigmentation" (PLoS Genetics, 2008), "Use of tanning beds and incidence of skin cancer" (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2012), "Sildenafil use and increased risk of incident melanoma in US men: a prospective cohort study" (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014), and "Citrus Consumption and Risk of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma" (Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2015). Dr. Han has mentored over 40 graduate students, fellows, and junior faculty, many pursuing academic careers globally. He has served as ad hoc reviewer for over 100 journals, on NIH study sections, U.S. Department of Defense panels, and American Cancer Society reviews, and delivered invited lectures at regional, national, and international meetings, including a keynote at the 6th Africa International Biotechnology and Biomedical Conference in 2023.