Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
A542 Crabtree Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Voice: 412-624-3467
Fax: 412 624-7397
E-mail: bunkerc@pitt.edu


Research Interests

• Prostate Cancer, ovarian cancer
• Molecular Epidemiology
• Obesity
• Blood Pressure
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Birth outcome

Research Interests

Principal Investigator


• Molecular Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer in Tobagonians (1999-2011) NCI, NIH
• Inflammation and Ovarian Cancer (2009-2011) NCI, NIH
• Investigation of multifactorial risk for low birth weight in rural Indian cohort (2009-2012)
• SHARE India University Pittsburgh Population and Intervention Research Training (2011-2016), Fogarty International Center, NIH

Education & Training

• Wellesley College - A.B. Zoology, 1961
• Johns Hopkins University - M.P.H. Epidemiology, 1980
• University of Pittsburgh - Ph.D. Epidemiology, 1984
• University of Pittsburgh - Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology, 1985

Selected Publications

Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Konety BR, Dhir R, Brufsky AM, Vivas CA, Becich MJ, Trump DL, Kuller LH. High prevalence of screening-detected prostate cancer among Afro-Caribbeans: The Tobago Prostate Survey. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 2002;11:726-729.

Shea PR, Ferrell RE, Patrick AL, Kuller LH, Bunker CH. ELAC2 and prostate cancer risk in Afro-Caribbeans of Tobago. Hum Genet 2002;111:398-400.

Raikkonen K, Matthews KA, Kondwani KA, Bunker CH, Melhem NM, Ukoli FAM, Asogun A, Jacob RG. Does nondipping of blood pressure at night reflect a trait of blunted cardiovascular responses to daily activities? Annals Behav Med 2004;27(2):131-7.

Hoffman LJ, Bunker CH, Pellett PE, Trump DL, Patrick AL, Dollard SC, Keenan HA, Jenkins FJ. Elevated seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) among men with prostate cancer. J Infect Dis 2004;189:15-20.

Miljkovic-Gacic I, Bunker CH, Ferrell RE, Kammerer CM, Evans RW, Patrick AL, Kuller LH. Lipoprotein subclass and particle size differences in Afro-Caribbeans, African Americans, and white Americans: associations with hepatic lipase gene variation. Metabolism Clin Experiment 2006;55(1):96-102.

Bunker CH, Zmuda JM, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Weissfeld JL, Kuller LH, Cauley JA. High bone density is associated with prostate cancer in older Afro-Caribbean men. Cancer Causes & Control 2006;17(10):1083-1089.

Ragin CCR, Wheeler VW, Wilson JB, Bunker CH, Gollin SM, Patrick AL, Taioli E: Distinct distribution of HPV types among cancer-free Afro-Caribbean women from Tobago. Biomarkers, 2007; 1-13 (electronic) URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13547500701340384.

Bunker CH, McDonald AC, Evans RW, de la Rosa N, Boumosleh JM, Patrick AL. A Randomized Trial of Lycopene Supplementation in Tobago Men with High Prostate Cancer Risk. Nutr Cancer 2007; 57:130-7.

Miljkovic-Gacic I, Wang X, Kammerer CM, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Kuller LH, Evans RW, Zmuda JM. Sex and genetic effects on upper and lower body fat and associations with diabetes in multigenerational families of African heritage. Metabolism. 2008 Jun;57(6):819-823.

Miljkovic-Gacic I, Wang X, Kammerer CM, Gordon CL, Goodpaster BH, Bunker CH, Kuller LH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Evans RW, Zmuda JM. Fat Infiltration in Muscle: New Evidence for Familial Clustering and Associations with Diabetes. Obesity 2008;16:1854-60.

Sheu Y, Cauley JA, Wheeler VW, Patrick AL, Bunker CH, Kammerer CM, Zmuda JM. Natural History and Correlates of Hip Bone Loss Among Men of African Ancestry: The Tobago Bone Health Study. J Bone Miner Res 2009; Mar 3.

Miljkovic I, Yerges-Armstrong LM, Kuller LH, Kuipers AL, Wang X, Kammerer CM, Nestlerode CS, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Evans RW, Zmuda JM. Association analysis of 33 lipoprotein candidate genes in multi-generational families of African ancestry. J Lipid Res 2010; 51(7):1823-31. PMID: 20308432; PMC2882746

Sheu Y, Cauley JA, Wheeler VW, Ensrud KE, Patrick AL, Bunker CH, Orwoll ES, Zmuda JM for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Research Group. Age-Related Decline in Bone Density among Ethnically Diverse Older Men. Osteoporosis International 2011; 22(2):599-605. PMID: 20567806; PMC - Journal in Process

Beason TS, Bunker CH, Zmuda JM, Wilson JW, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Weissfeld JL. ADRB2 Gene Variants, DEXA Body Composition, and Hypertension in Tobago Men of African Descent. Metabolism 2011; 60(5):698-705. PMID: 20727557; PMC2992095

Miljkovic I, Bodnar LM, Cauley JA, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Kuller LH, Zmuda JM. Low Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Elderly Afro-Caribbean Men. Ethnicity and Disease 2011; 21(1):79-84. PMID: 21462735; PMC3095488

Langevin SM, Stone RA, Bunker CH, Lyons-Weiler MA, LaFramboise WA, Kelly L, Seethala RR, Grandis JR, Sobol RW, Taioli E. MicroRNA-137 Promoter Methylation is Associated with Poorer Overall Survival in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Cancer 2011;117(7):1454-62. PMID: 21425146

Miljkovic I, Kuipers AL, Kammerer CM, Wang X, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Kuller LH, Evans RW, Zmuda JM. Markers of Inflammation are Heritable and Associated with Subcutaneous and Ectopic Skeletal Muscle Adiposity in African Ancestry Families. Metab Syndr Relat Disord 2011; April 18 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 21501070

Okobia MN, Zmuda JM, Ferrell RE, Patrick AL, Bunker CH. Chromosome 8q24 Variants are Associated with Prostate Cancer Risk in a High Risk Population of African Ancestry. Prostate 2011; 70(10):1054-63. PMID: 21557270; PMC Journal - In Process.

Miljkovic I, Cauley JA, Dressen AS, Gordon CL, Goodpaster BH, Kuller LH, Bunker CH, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Orwoll ES, Zmuda JM. Bioactive Androgens and Glucuronidated Androgen Metabolites are Associated with Subcutaneous and Ectopic Skeletal Muscle and Adiposity Among Older Black Men. Metabolism 2011 Aug;60(8):1178-85. PMID: 21353258; PMC3106138

McDonald AC, Jenkins FJ, Bunker CH, Wilson JW, Patrick AL, Weissfeld JL. A case-cohort study of human herpesvirus 8 seropositivity and incident prostate cancer in Tobago. Infectious Agents and Cancer 2011; 6:25. PMID: 22151996; PMC3248833

Kuipers AL, Gundberg C, Kammerer CM, Dressen AS, Nestlerode CS, Patrick AL, Wheeler VW, Bunker CH, Newman AB, Zmuda JM. Genetic analysis of serum osteocalcin and bone mineral in multigenerational Afro-Caribbean families. Osteoporosis International 2012 May;23(5):1521-31. PMID: 21935688 [PubMed - in process]

Forrest K, Bunker CH, Sheu Y, Wheeler V, Patrick AL, Zmuda JM. Patterns and Correlates of Grip Strength Change with Age in Afro-Caribbean Men. Age and Aging 2012 May; 41(3):326-32. PMID: 22465797; PMC3335373.

Lo-Ciganic W-H, Zgibo JC, Bunker CH, Moysich KB, Edwards, RP, Ness RB. Aspirin, Nonaspirin Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drus, or Acetaminophen and Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Epidemiology 2012; 23(2):311-19. PMID: 22252409; [PubMed - in process]