Current Research Interests

Dr. Zauber’s primary research focus is identifying and assessing ways to prevent and reduce the burden of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, specifically through screening and surveillance. Her work involves population-based statistical modeling and precision medicine to identify effective and cost-effective screening strategies to better inform health policy and randomized clinical trials. Dr. Zauber leads the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) colorectal group, a multi-center group of microsimulation modelers sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Her team conducted decision analyses for the 2008, 2016, and 2020 United States Preventive Services Task Force’s colorectal cancer screening recommendations on optimal age to begin and end screening, screening intervals, and screening modalities.  Additionally, her modeling group conducted a decision analysis for the American Cancer Society (ACS) for age to begin screening given the rising incidence rates for colorectal cancer in younger cohorts, which resulted in the ACS recommendation to begin screening at age 45. The CISNET decision analyses have also informed colorectal cancer screening strategies for higher risk populations such as those with Cystic Fibrosis and Lynch Syndrome. Dr. Zauber and her CISNET team have worked closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on colorectal cancer screening and prevention, and the cost-effectiveness of available and novel screening tests on average and genetically predisposed (high risk) populations.  Currently, her group is partnering with the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry to elucidate the natural history of the serrated pathway, and how this understanding may lead to updated policies on screening and surveillance. Dr. Zauber is also a leader in screening studies. She was the Principal Investigator for the National Colonoscopy Study, a multi-center randomized controlled trial for screening colonoscopy and fecal occult blood testing and serves as a co-Principal Investigator on the NCI PROSPR I consortium. She demonstrated in the landmark National Polyp Study that removal of adenomas, the precursor lesion of colorectal cancer, reduces both incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. She has also served on the advisory panel for the colorectal cancer screening recommendations for the International Agency for Cancer Research. Additionally, Dr. Zauber continues to serve as biostatistician on many national and international studies including the Nordic-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer and serves as the statistical editor for Gastroenterology and other high impact journals. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and of the American Gastroenterology Association.