This interview is with Cancer Informatics editorial board member Dr Philip Crooke. Cancer Informatics is an open access journal published by Libertas Academica.

Editor in Chief Dr James Willey has recently issued a call for papers.

What is the primary focus of your research?

Mathematical modeling of physiological processes of diseases and developing algorithms to diagnose and treat these diseases.

What are the most exciting developments arising from current research in your area?

1. A mathematical model to predict the risk of breast cancer.
2. A genetic-based algorithm to identify autoimmune diseases.
3. A clinically relevant model for mechanical ventilation that attempts to minimize lung injury.

Who are your main collaborators? Please describe your work with them.

1. Fritz F. Parl (Pathology-Vanderbilt)
2. Thomas M, Aune (Rheumatology-Vanderbilt)
3. John R. Hotchkiss (Critical Care Medicine-University of Pittsburgh)
Our projects always involve mathematical models that use experimental data to verify the model. The utility of the model is its application to a particular branch of medicine.

How did you come to be working in your research area?

Initially, it was by chance. After my colleagues in the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt learned of my interest in working with clinicians and medical researchers, I was approached to join their projects. I am hardly ever the initiator of these projects.

What do you think about the development of open access publishing? Have you published in an open access journal? What motivated you to do so?

I believe that it will play an important role in publishing. However, I am afraid that it may be too expensive for individual researchers.

What articles and/or books have you published recently?

J.R. Hotchkiss, D.G. Strike and P.S. Crooke. Pathogen transmission and clinic scheduling, Emerging Infectious Diseases 12 2006, pp. 159-162.

S. Hota, A.B. Adams, J.R. Hotchkiss and P.S. Crooke. Optimal phasic tracheal gas insufflation timing: an experimental and mathematical analysis, Critical Care Medicine 34 2006, pp.1408-1414.

P.S. Crooke, Ritchie, D.L. Hachey, S. Dawling, N. Roodi, and F.F. Parl. Estrogens, enzyme variants, and breast cancer: A risk model. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 15 2006, pp. 1-10.

S.C. Fossey, C. Vnencak-Jones, N. Olsen, S. Subramaniam,G. Garrison, X. Deng, P.S. Crooke and T. Aune. Identification of molecular biomarkers for multiple sclerosis, The Journal of Molecular Diagnoistics 9(2007), 197-204.

J.R. Hotchkiss, M.H.Sanders, G. Clermont and P.S. Crooke. Preventing “bored-lung disease” when treating patients with ventilatory failure. Critical Care Medicine 35(2007), 1797-1799.

P.S. Crooke, S. Rattnamongkonkul, Y. Lenbury, and J.R. Hotchkiss. Mathematical modeling of non-invasive pressure support ventilation: investigation of tidal volume instability in Quantitative Medical Data Analysis Using Mathematical Tools and Statistical Techniques, edited by D. Hong and Y. Shyr, World Science Publishing Co., 2007, 277-296.

J.R. Hotchkiss, P. Holley and P.S. Crooke. Analyzing pathogen transmission in the dialysis unit: Time for a (schedule) change? Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 2(2007).

J.S. Rankin, A.F. Daley, P.S. Crooke and R.H. Anderson. A ‘hemispherical’ model of aortic valvar geometry, J. Heart Valve Disease 17(2008), 179-186.

F.F. Parl, S. Dawling, N. Roodi and P.S. Crooke. Estrogen metabolism and breast cancer. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1155(2009), 68-75.

Further Information

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