Education
PhD Nutrition, University of Kiel (Germany), 1998
MPH Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, 1999
Contact
206-667-2450
upeters@fredhutch.org
Box 358080
1100 Fairview Ave N,M4-B402
PO Box 1024
Seattle, WA 98109
Research Interests
My research interest centers on the genetic and molecular epidemiology of common complex diseases, including cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as intermediate traits, including inflammation and metabolic measurements. Within well characterized and diverse study populations, we are studying the impact of common and rare genetic variants across the entire genome, as well as interactions between genetic variants and environmental factors (such as diet, exercise, smoking and aspirin use). We are increasingly bringing in functional genomic data to inform gene-environment interactions as well as rare variant testing. In addition, we are conducting a large-scale study to integrate the tumor and host genome to investigate associations of germline genetic, environmental risk factors and survival in relation to colorectal cancer subtypes defined by existing tumor characteristics as well as novel somatic mutations in colorectal cancer. A further interest of us is the translation of our findings into public health practice and clinical care. Accordingly, we have developed comprehensive risk prediction models that can personalize screening decisions.
Recent Publications (PubMed)
(2026 Jul 16)
Science 393(6808): eadx2989
Orchard P, Blackwell TW, Kachuri L, Castaldi PJ, Cho MH, Christenson SA, Durda P, Gabriel S, Hersh CP, Huntsman S, Hwang S, Joehanes R, Johnson M, Li X, Lin H, Liu CT, Liu Y, Mak ACY, Manichaikul AW, Paik DT, Saferali A, Smith JD, Taylor KD, Tracy RP, Wang J, Wang M, Weinstock JS, Weiss J, Wheeler HE, Zhou Y, Zöllner S, Wu JC, Mestroni L, Graw S, Taylor MRG, Ortega VE, Johnson WC, Gan W, Abecasis G, Nickerson DA, Gupta N, Ardlie K, Woodruff PG, Bowler RP, Meyers DA, Reiner A, Kooperberg C, Ziv E, Vasan RS, Larson MG, Cupples LA, Silverman EK, Rich SS, Heard-Costa N, Tang H, Rotter JI, Smith AV, Levy D, NHLBI TOPMed Consortium Multi-Omics Working Group32, NHLBI TOPMed Consortium32§, Aguet F, Scott LJ, Raffield LM, Parker SCJ, Abe N, Almasy L, Ament S, Anugu P, Auer P, Avramopoulos D, Balasubramanian A, Barr RG, Barwick L, Beaty T, Becker D, Becker L, Beitelshees A, Benos T, Bezerra M, Bis J, Brody J, Broeckel U, Broome J, Bunting K, Buth E, Carey V, Carty C, Casaburi R, Chaffin M, Chang C, Chang YC, Chavan S, Chen BJ, Chen WM, Choi SH, Chuang LM, Chung RH, Conomos M, Cornell E, Crandall C, Crapo J, Curtis J, Damcott C, David S, de Las Fuentes L, de Vries P, Deka R, DeMeo D, Devine S, Dinh H, Doddapaneni H, Duan Q, Duggirala R, Eaton C, Ekunwe L, El Boueiz A, Emery L, Farber C, Farek J, Franceschini N, Frazar C, Fu M, Fullerton SM, Fulton L, Gao S, Gao Y, Gass M, Geiger H, Ghosh A, Gignoux C, Glahn D, Gogarten S, Gong DW, Goring H, Grine D, Gu CC, Guan Y, Hall M, Han Y, Harris D, Heavner B, Herrington D, Hobbs B, Hong E, Hoth K, Hsiung CA, Hu J, Hung YJ, Huston H, Hwu CM, Jackson R, Jain D, Johnsen J, Johnston R, Jones K, Kessler M, Khan A, Khan Z, Kim W, Kimoff J, Kinney G, Kramer H, Lange C, Lange E, Laurie C, Laurie C, LeBoff M, Lee S, Lee WJ, Levine D, Lewis J, Li Y, Lin X, Liu S, Liu Y, Make B, Manning A, Manson J, Martin L, Marton M, Mathai S, May S, McArdle P, McDonald ML, McFarland S, McGoldrick D, McHugh C, Mei H, Meigs J, Menon V, Min N, Moll M, Momin Z, Montasser M, Mychaleckyj JC, Naik R, Naseri T, Natarajan P, Nelson SC, Neltner B, Nessner C, Nkechinyere O, O'Connell J, O'Connor T, Ochs-Balcom H, Okwuonu G, Pankow J, Parker C, Peloso G, Peralta JM, Perez M, Perry J, Peters U, Phillips LS, Pollin T, Becker JP, Boorgula MP, Psaty B, Qiao D, Rafaels N, Rajendran M, Rasmussen-Torvik L, Ratan A, Reed R, Regan E, Reupena MS, Robillard R, Roselli C, Ruczinski I, Runnels A, Russell P, Ryan K, Sabino EC, Salimi S, Salvi S, Salzberg S, Sandow K, Santibanez J, Schwander K, Sciurba F, Sériès F, Shetty A, Shetty A, Silver B, Skomro R, Smith T, Smoller S, Snively B, Stilp AM, Storm G, Streeten E, Su JL, Sung YJ, Sylvia J, Szpiro A, Taub M, Taylor S, Thornton TA, Threlkeld M, Tinker L, Tirschwell D, Tiwari H, Tong C, Tsai M, Vaidya D, Walker T, Wallace R, Walts A, Wang FF, Wang H, Watson K, Watt J, Weng LC, Wessel J, Williams K, Wilson C, Wilson J, Winterkorn L, Wong Q, Wu B, Xu H, Yanek L, Yang I, Zekavat SM, Zhao SX, Zhao W, Zhu X
(2026 Jul 1)
Nat Commun 17(1):
Neidlinger P, Lenz T, Foersch S, Loeffler CML, Clusmann J, Gustav M, Shaktah LA, Langer R, Dislich B, Boardman LA, French AJ, Goode EL, Gsur A, Brezina S, Gunter MJ, Steinfelder R, Behrens HM, Röcken C, Harrison T, Peters U, Phipps AI, Curigliano G, Fusco N, Marra A, Hoffmeister M, Brenner H, Kather JN
(2026 Jun 12)
medRxiv
Li Q, Xu L, Wang J, Li C, Wen W, Shu X, Yang Y, Shu XO, Cai Q, Long J, Singh B, Lau KS, Yin Z, Casey G, Song M, Peters U, Zheng W, Guo X
(2026 Jun 15)
Am J Epidemiol
Thomas CE, Wesselink E, Takashima Y, Huyghe JR, Buchanan DD, Grant RC, Costa AD, Ugai T, Ogino S, Nowak JA, Peters U, Phipps AI, Hsu L
(2026 Jun 11)
Cancer Cell
Liang J, Jiang X, Reitsam NG, Lenz T, Zhang L, Gustav M, Carrero ZI, Muti HS, Neidlinger P, Clusmann J, Žigutytė L, Sainath V, Wolf F, Boardman LA, French AJ, Goode EL, Gsur A, Brezina S, Gunter MJ, Steinfelder R, Harrison T, Peters U, Phipps AI, Quirke P, West NP, Hoffmeister M, Brenner H, Wankhede D, Jonnagaddala J, Hawkins N, Ward RL, Fountzilas E, Papadopoulou K, Fountzilas G, André T, Taieb J, Emile JF, Svrcek M, Kong L, Kather JN
Show complete publication list
In the News
Washington Post, 11/02/2015
SPH News, 07/20/2015
Nature Communications, 07/07/2015
Journal of the American Medical Association, 03/17/2015
Cancer Causes & Control, 06/01/2013
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 10/18/2012
Puget Sound Business Journal, 07/13/2009