Annette Molinaro MA, PhD

Associate Adjunct Professor of Neurological Surgery and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

 

 

 

Dr. Molinaro’s research interests are primarily focused on statistical genetics and computational biology, including prediction, survival analysis, classification, and causal inference with additional curiosities in cancer epidemiology and in the estimation of absolute risk in stratified case-cohort studies. Her research has pertained to predicting clinical outcomes with high-dimensional explanatory variables, such as CGH and methylation arrays, and large-scale epidemiology studies. This has included an adaptation to Classification and Regression Trees (CART) for survival outcomes, the introduction of partDSA, a novel data-adaptive algorithm that builds Boolean combinations of explanatory variables, and a non-parametric method for point estimation based on a stratified case-cohort study design. In addition, she has worked with collaborators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on comparing cross-validation approaches to validating predictors in small sample sizes and the power of data mining methods for detecting genetic associations and interactions. Dr. Molinaro’s current focus is on expanding partDSA for building predictors of survival outcomes with high-dimensional data structures including genomic and proteomic data.

Education, Training, and Previous Positions

1998: BSc, Florida State University
2000: MA, University of California, Berkeley
2004: PhD, University of California, Berkeley
1998 – 2004: Biostatistician, UCSF Cancer Center
2004 – 2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
2005 – 2011: Assistant Professor, Biostatistics, Yale University Schools of Public Health & Medicine
2005 – 2011: Co-Director Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Core, Skin SPORE, Yale University

Selected Professional Memberships and Appointments

Elected Member, International Statistical Institute 
American Statistical Association
International Biometric Society
Institute of Mathematical Statistics 
American Mathematical Society
Mathematical Association of America
Caucus for Women in Statistics
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Statistical Modelling Society

Selected Honors and Awards

2004: Evelyn Fix Prize, University of California, Berkeley
2004: Chin Long Chiang Biostatistics Student of the Year, University of California, Berkeley
2006: Elected Member, International Statistical Institute
2008: Yale School of Public Health’s Teacher of the Year
2009: Yale Center for Clinical Investigation Scholar

Selected Recent Publications

Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Gordon PB, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Host phenotype characteristics and MC1R in relation to early-onset basal cell carcinoma [published online ahead of print Dec 8 2011]. J Invest Dermatol. doi: 10.1038/jid.2011.402.

Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning and risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma [published online ahead of print Dec 8 2011]. J Am Acad Dermatol. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2011.11.940

Potts MB, Smith JS, Molinaro AM, Berger MS. Natural history and surgical management of incidentally discovered low-grade gliomas [published online ahead of print Oct 14 2011]. J Neurosurg. doi: 10.3171/2011.9.JNS111068.

Molinaro AM, Carriero N, Bjornson R, Hartge P, Rothman N, Chatterjee N. Power of data mining methods to detect genetic associations and interactions. Hum Hered 2011;72(2):85-97.

Baquero MT, Lostritto K, Gustavson MD, Bassi KA, Appia F, Camp RL, Molinaro AM, Harris LN, Rimm DL. Evaluation of prognostic and predictive value of microtubule associated protein tau in two independent cohorts. Breast Cancer Res 2011 Nov 2;13(5):R85.

Jahangiri A, Molinaro AM, Tarapore PE, Blevins L Jr, Auguste KI, Gupta N, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Rathke cleft cysts in pediatric patients: presentation, surgical management, and postoperative outcomes. Neurosurg Focus 2011;31(1):E3.

Tolles J, Bai Y, Baquero M, Harris LN, Rimm DL, Molinaro AM. Optimal Tumor Sampling for Immunostaining of Biomarkers in Breast Carcinoma. Breast Cancer Res. 2011;13(3):R51.

Kluger HM, Dudek AZ, McCann C, Ritacco J, Southard N, Jilaveanu LB, Molinaro A, Sznol M. A phase 2 trial of dasatinib in advanced melanoma. Cancer 2011;117(10):2202-8.

Kluger HM, Hoyt K, Bacchiocchi A, Mayer T, Kirsch J, Kluger Y, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Molinaro A, Halaban R. Plasma markers for identifying patients with metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2011;17(8):2417-25.

Bai Y, Tolles J, Cheng H, Siddiqui S, Gopinath A, Pectasides E, Camp RL, Rimm DL, Molinaro AM. Quantitative assessment shows loss of antigenic epitopes as a function of pre-analytic variables. Lab Invest. 2011 Apr 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Martin KD, Naert L, Goldstein LB, Kasl S, Molinaro AM, Lichtman JH. Comparing the Use of Diagnostic Imaging and Receipt of Carotid Endarterectomy in Elderly Black and White Stroke Patients. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2011 Mar 14. [Epub ahead of print]

Godshalk SE, Paranjape T, Nallur S, Speed W, Chan E, Molinaro AM, Bacchiocchi A, Hoyt K, Tworkoski K, Stern DF, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Lazova R, Halaban R, Kidd KK, Weidhaas JB, Slack FJ. A Variant in a MicroRNA complementary site in the 3' UTR of the KIT oncogene increases risk of acral melanoma. Oncogene 2011;30(13):1542-50.

Kerlikowske K, Molinaro AM, Gauthier ML, Berman HK, Waldman F, Bennington J, Sanchez H, Jimenez C, Stewart K, Chew K, Ljung BM, Tlsty TD. Biomarker expression and risk of subsequent tumors after initial ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis. J Natl Cancer Inst 2010;102(9):627-37. Erratum in: J Natl Cancer Inst 2010;102(13):993.

Molinaro AM, Lostritto K, van der Laan M. partDSA: deletion/substitution/addition algorithm for partitioning the covariate space in prediction. Bioinformatics 2010;26(10):1357-63.

Molinaro AM, Lostritto K. Statistical resampling for large screening data analysis such as classical resampling Bootstrapping, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and statistical simulation and validation strategies. In Lee JK (ed): Statistical Bioinformatics: A Guide for life and biomedical science researchers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 2010, pp.219-248.

Gould Rothberg BE, Berger AJ, Molinaro AM, Subtil A, Krauthammer MO, Camp RL, Bradley WR, Ariyan S, Kluger HM, Rimm DL. Melanoma prognostic model using tissue microarrays and genetic algorithms. J Clin Oncol 2009;27(34):5772-80.

Koga Y, Pelizzola M, Cheng E, Krauthammer M, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Molinaro AM, Halaban R, Weissman SM. Genome-wide screen of promoter methylation identifies novel markers in melanoma. Genome Res 2009;19(8):1462-70.

Halaban R, Krauthammer M, Pelizzola M, Cheng E, Kovacs D, Sznol M, Ariyan S, Narayan D, Bacchiocchi A, Molinaro A, Kluger Y, Deng M, Tran N, Zhang W, Picardo M, Enghild JJ. Integrative analysis of epigenetic modulation in melanoma cell response to decitabine: clinical implications. PLoS One 2009;4(2):e4563.

Giltnane JM, Molinaro A, Cheng H, Robinson A, Turbin D, Gelmon K, Huntsman D, Rimm DL. Comparison of quantitative immunofluorescence with conventional methods for HER2/neu testing with respect to response to trastuzumab therapy in metastatic breast cancer. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2008;132(10):1635-47.

Petersen ML, Molinaro AM, Sinisi SE, van der Laan MJ. Cross-Validated Bagged Learning. J Multivar Anal 2008;25(2):260-266.

Gustavson MD, Molinaro AM, Tedeschi G, Camp RL, Rimm DL. AQUA analysis of thymidylate synthase reveals localization to be a key prognostic biomarker in 2 large cohorts of colorectal carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2008;132(11):1746-52.

Pelizzola M, Koga Y, Urban AE, Krauthammer M, Weissman S, Halaban R, Molinaro AM. MEDME: an experimental and analytical methodology for the estimation of DNA methylation levels based on microarray derived MeDIP-enrichment. Genome Res 2008;18(10):1652-9.

Ghosh S, Sullivan CA, Zerkowski MP, Molinaro AM, Rimm DL, Camp RL, Chung GG. High levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, neuropilin-1) are associated with worse outcome in breast cancer. Hum Pathol 2008;39(12):1835-43.

Kluger HM, Siddiqui SF, Angeletti C, Sznol M, Kelly WK, Molinaro AM, Camp RL. Classification of renal cell carcinoma based on expression of VEGF and VEGF receptors in both tumor cells and endothelial cells. Lab Invest 2008;88(9):962-72.

Moeder CB, Giltnane JM, Harigopal M, Molinaro A, Robinson A, Gelmon K, Huntsman D, Camp RL, Rimm DL; American Society of Clinical Oncology; College of American Pathologists. Quantitative justification of the change from 10% to 30% for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 scoring in the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guidelines: tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer and its implications for tissue microarray based assessment of outcome. J Clin Oncol 2007;25(34):5418-25.

Moore LE, Fung ET, McGuire M, Rabkin CC, Molinaro A, Wang Z, Zhang F, Wang J, Yip C, Meng XY, Pfeiffer RM. Evaluation of apolipoprotein A1 and posttranslationally modified forms of transthyretin as biomarkers for ovarian cancer detection in an independent study population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(9):1641-6.

Hothorn T, Buhlmann P, Dudoit S, Molinaro AM, van der Laan MJ. Survival Ensembles. Biostatistics 2006;7(3):355-73.

Molinaro AM, Simon R, Pfeiffer RM. Prediction error estimation: a comparison of resampling methods. Bioinformatics 2005;21(15):3301-7.

Molinaro AM, Dudoit S, van der Laan MJ. Tree-based multivariate regression and density estimation with right-censored data. J Multivar Anal 2004;90(1):154-77.

Kerlikowske K, Molinaro A, Cha I, Ljung BM, Ernster VL, Stewart K, Chew K, Moore DH 2nd, Waldman F. Characteristics associated with recurrence among women with ductal carcinoma in situ treated by lumpectomy. J Natl Cancer Inst 2003;95(22):1692-702.