UB Center for Disability Studies

The UB Center for Disability Studies offers academic degree programs that provide students and community members with the tools needed to advance the study of disability within the humanities in collaboration with social sciences, education, law, and the health sciences. Learn more.

UB Gender Institute

The Gender Institute, a UB-wide research center founded in 1997, offers grants and awards to UB faculty and students. We support scholarship on women and on the intricate connections between gender and other social forces, such as sexuality, race, class, health, age, religion, and place. Learn more.

UB SPHHP

The mission of the School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP) is to improve the health of populations, communities and individuals through disciplinary and interdisciplinary education, research and service. Through a range of research initiatives and centers, the SPHHP is contributing to improved health for populations, communities and individuals. Learn more.

Jo L. Freudenheim

PhD

Jo L. Freudenheim

PhD

Jo L. Freudenheim

PhD

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

School of Public Health and Health Professions

SUNY Distinguished Professor

Epidemiology and Environmental Health

School of Public Health and Health Professions

Research Topics/Projects

Cancer epidemiology, using epidemiologic tools to understand carcinogenesis at the population, individual, tissue and molecular levels to better prevent and control the disease risk and progression. Much of my work includes a focus on nutrition and alcohol. Recent projects include examination of factors associated with mortality after a breast cancer diagnosis, breast cancer epidemiology in Puerto Rico, and examination of reduction of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer risk and mortality. In addition, I am working on a project regarding caregiving and caretaking among those with disability.

Contact Information

268K Farber Hall

Buffalo NY, 14214

Phone: (716) 829-5375

Fax: (716) 829-2979

jfreuden@buffalo.edu

Faculty Links

PubMed

Faculty Expert Profile

Overview Publications News

UB News

SPHHP's Jo L. Freudenheim Elected as AAAS Fellow
3/30/26
Jo L. Freudenheim, SUNY Distinguished Professor in SPHHP's Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, is one of five UB researchers who have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.
Freudenheim receives American Society of Preventive Oncology’s Distinguished Achievement Award
2/9/26
Award is given annually to an outstanding scientist in the area of preventive oncology, cancer control and/or cancer prevention who has made substantial research contributions.
UB researcher contributes to National Academies report on alcohol and health outcomes
1/21/25
In addition to the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer, the report examined linkages to seven other health outcomes.
UB receives $2.5 million Mellon grant
12/13/23
The funding will support a new interdisciplinary research project to better understand and address issues faced by caregivers and those with disabilities.
SPHHP faculty member to be inducted as American Society for Nutrition Foundation Fellow
6/14/23
SUNY Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Jo L. Freudenheim, PhD, MS, RD, has been selected as a member of the American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASN) Class of 2023 Fellows.
SPHHP Faculty and Staff Take Roles to Share Expertise
11/14/22
SPHHP faculty and staff are sharing their expertise in a range of roles...
E-cigarette pilot study grant awarded to UB epidemiologist
1/31/17
Research team led by Jo Freudenheim will examine DNA methylation differences in e-cig users compared to non-smokers and smokers.
Study in Puerto Rico finds lower risk of breast cancer with more sun exposure
1/4/22
While recent recommendations have been to limit sun exposure to prevent skin cancer, there may also be a benefit to some sun exposure, especially exposure without sunburn, researchers say.
Study finds no association between caffeine intake and invasive breast cancer risk
9/27/21
Overlap of age at diagnosis of breast cancer and age with high consumption of caffeine, and inconsistent findings from previous studies, motivated researchers to study whether caffeine could affect breast cancer risk.
New UB study looks at relationship between the microbiome and breast cancer
7/27/21
Grant from the Windsong CARES Foundation is funding the study, which will add to researchers’ understanding of whether bacteria in breast tissue contribute to breast cancer.
Study finds increased risk of death among breast cancer patients who drink sugar-sweetened soda
3/9/21
Women who reported drinking non-diet soda five times or more per week were 85% more likely to die from breast cancer.
Freudenheim receives APHA award
1/7/21
The prestigious Abraham Lilienfeld Award recognizes excellence in the teaching of epidemiology during the course of a career.
Five UB faculty members named SUNY Distinguished Professors
4/13/20
M. Laura Feltri, Jo Freudenheim, Amit Goyal, Elad Levy and Stephen Tiffany received the highest faculty rank in SUNY.
UB researchers contribute to CDC report on cause of vaping-related lung injuries
1/13/20
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers identify vitamin E acetate as likely culprit.
Study: Onions and garlic may be recipe for reducing breast cancer risk
9/23/19
Women who consumed sofrito more than once per day had a 67% decrease in risk compared to women who never ate it.
Study: New or worsened bedsores tied to poorer inpatient rehab outcomes
8/30/18
Study is the first to examine whether metric mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is, in fact, associated with outcomes of care in inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
Grant bolsters doctoral training
9/5/17
The grant from the National Cancer Institute will fund interdisciplinary training in cancer epidemiology for PhD students.
UB paper among journal's most cited
3/14/17
Epidemiologist Jo Freudenheim presented the paper at the American Society of Preventive Oncology Conference.