EMBLEM Staff and collaborators review study SOPs, St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor EMBLEM Staff learn how to use datafax forms, St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor EMBLEM Steering Committee at St. Mary’s Hospital launching case enrollment EMBLEM Steering Committee at Gulu University building at St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor Dr. Peter Odada Sumba (co-PI EMBLEM Kenya), Capt. Josiah Magatti (co-PI Tanzania) and Dr. Tobias Kinyera (EMBLEM Study Coordinator) at St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor EMBLEM Study Steering Commiitee Meeting at St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor Dr. Steve Reynolds (EMBLEM co-PI) and Dr. Allan Hildesheim (Infections & Immunoepidemiology Branch Chief) connduct a field visit in Amuru District A grass thatched hut in the EMBLEM Study area in Uganda Dr. Steve Reynolds and Dr. Allan Hildesheim train a local EMBLEM team to complete household census forms

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is conducting a multicountry and multiyear case-control study of childhood Burkitt’s lymphoma in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The study, entitled Epidemiology of Burkitt’s Lymphoma in East-African Children and Minors (EMBLEM), will evaluate the role of:

  1. Repeated malaria infections in endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma,
  2. Malaria genetic variants in Burkitt’s lymphoma,
  3. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genetic variants in Burkitt’s lymphoma.

The specific hypotheses that will be tested are, whether:

  • Carriage of genetic markers that increase resistance to malaria is associated with decreased risk of Burkitt’s lymphoma.
  • Certain EBV genetic variants are associated with increased risk for Burkitt’s lymphoma.

In addition, the study will generate a unique data and sample repository to allow for novel study exploration into the etiology and biology of the disease, including the use of genome-wide scans.

To learn more about EMBLEM and Burkitt lymphoma, watch our video.