Justin Xavier Moore, PhD, MPH
Connect
jx.moore@uky.eduPositions
- Associate Professor
College Unit(s)
Biography and Education
Biography
RESEARCH PROJECTS AND INTERESTS
(1) Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Cancer Outcomes: Dr. Moore has focused on examining health disparities (including racial, socio-economic, rural, and geographic) in cancer outcomes within the United States. Racial minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations often face substantial barriers to adequate healthcare, greatly affecting quality of life and mortality. We have examined the influence of personal and neighborhood level, socioeconomic factors, and availability to healthcare resources in relation to racial differences in survival and treatment of various cancers (including breast and colorectal).
Dr. Moore currently serves as principal investigator of the Geographic and Racial Disparities in Mammography Screening and Barriers to Receiving Care study funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (K01MD015304-01). Link to NIH report here: Justin Moore K01
TEAM MEMBERS
Coming Soon. Dr. Moore is currently searching for research assistants and post-doctoral fellows in cancer epidemiology.
Research
Dr. Moore serves as an Associate Professor within the Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, with roles as Assistant Director of Population Science within the Department of Internal Medicine, and Assistant Director of Community Impact at the Markey Cancer Center. Dr. Moore is an epidemiologist with vast skills in biostatistics, database design, geographic information systems (GIS), mediation analysis, Bayesian methods, and cancer prevention and control. Dr. Moore’s research explores the intersection between social identity (race and/or sexual orientation and gender identity), place, and gene interactions on cancer health outcomes. Dr. Moore’s work delineated that place matters for African American, Hispanic, and rural populations characterized by hot spots of excess mortality from breast cancer, lung cancer, early-onset colorectal cancer, sepsis, and COVID-19. Dr. Moore’s current research interests lie in understanding the effects of race and place on determinants of breast cancer including breast cancer screening, mammographic density, life-course stress, and DNA methylation. Dr. Moore has published over 80 peer-reviewed, 30+ of these articles feature Dr. Moore as the lead or corresponding author. Dr. Moore publishes in journals such as JAMA, Cancer Epidemiology, Critical Care, The Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences, and many others. In 2022, Dr. Moore won the American Association for Cancer Research, Minority in Cancer Research Faculty Award in recognition of his work and service.
Dr. Moore's research focuses on how different factors like race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and where people live can affect their health outcomes when it comes to cancer. He found that certain groups, like African Americans, Hispanics, and people living in rural areas, face higher risks of death from specific types of cancer, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and early-onset colorectal cancer, as well as other conditions like sepsis and COVID-19.
Currently, Dr. Moore is studying how race and location impact various aspects of breast cancer, such as the likelihood of getting screened for it, the density of breast tissue seen on mammograms, the impact of stress experienced throughout a person's life, and a process called DNA methylation, which can affect how genes work. By understanding these connections, he hopes to improve healthcare outcomes for different communities.
Selected Publications
- Moore JX, Gilbert KL, Lively KL, Laurent C, Chawla R, Li C, Johnson R, Petcu R, Mehra M, Spooner A, Kolhe R, Ledford CJW. Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among a Community Sample of African Americans Living in the Southern United States. Vaccines. 2021; 9(8):879. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9080879
- Porter G**, Desai K, George V, Coughlin SS, Moore JX*. Racial Disparities in the Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Georgia: Trends Since State-Wide Reopening. Health Equity. 2021;5(1):91-9. Epub 2021/03/30. doi: 10.1089/heq.2020.0089. PubMed PMID: 33778312; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7990566
- Moore JX, Bevel MS, Aslibekyan S, Akinyemiju T. Temporal changes in allostatic load patterns by age, race/ethnicity, and gender among the US adult population; 1988-2018. Prev Med. 2021 Feb 25;:106483. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106483. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33640399
- Moore JX, Langston ME, George V, Coughlin SS. Epidemiology of the 2020 Pandemic of COVID-19 in the State of Georgia: Inadequate Critical Care Resources and Impact after seven weeks of Community Spread. JACEP Open 2020, in press.
- Moore JX, Han Y, Appleton C, Colditz G, Toriola AT. Determinants of Mammographic Breast Density by Race Among a Large Screening Population. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2020 Apr;4(2):pkaa010. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkaa010. eCollection 2020 Apr. PubMed PMID: 32373777; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7192029.
- Moore JX, Carter SJ, Williams V, Khan S, Lewis-Thames MW, Gilbert K, Howard G. Physical health composite and risk of cancer mortality in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study. Prev Med. 2020 Mar;132:105989. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.105989. Epub 2020 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 31954141; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7048236
- Moore JX, Royston KJ, Langston ME, Griffin R, Hidalgo B, Wang HE, Colditz G, Akinyemiju T. Mapping hot spots of breast cancer mortality in the United States: place matters for Blacks and Hispanics. Cancer Causes Control. 2018 Aug;29(8):737-750. doi: 10.1007/s10552-018-1051-y. Epub 2018 Jun 19. PubMed PMID: 29922896; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6301114.
- Moore JX, Akinyemiju T, Bartolucci A, Wang HE, Waterbor J, Griffin R. A prospective study of cancer survivors and risk of sepsis within the REGARDS cohort. Cancer Epidemiol. 2018 Aug;55:30-38. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2018.05.001. Epub 2018 May 25. PubMed PMID: 29763753; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6054880.
- Moore JX, Akinyemiju T, Bartolucci A, Wang HE, Waterbor J, Griffin R. Mediating Effects of Frailty Indicators on the Risk of Sepsis After Cancer. J Intensive Care Med. 2018 Jan 1;:885066618779941. doi: 10.1177/0885066618779941. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29862879; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6026551.
- Xavier Moore J, Donnelly JP, Griffin R, Safford MM, Howard G, Baddley J, Wang HE. Community characteristics and regional variations in sepsis. Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Oct 1;46(5):1607-1617. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyx099. PubMed PMID: 29121335; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6455035.
- Moore JX, Akinyemiju T, Wang HE. Pollution and regional variations of lung cancer mortality in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol. 2017 Aug;49:118-127. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2017.05.013. Epub 2017 Jun 9. PubMed PMID: 28601785; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5553699.
- Moore JX, Chaudhary N, Akinyemiju T. Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence by Race/Ethnicity and Sex in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-2012. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017 Mar 16;14:E24. doi: 10.5888/pcd14.160287. PubMed PMID: 28301314; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5364735.
- Moore JX, Zakai NA, Mahalingam M, Griffin RL, Irvin MR, Safford MM, Baddley JW, Wang HE. Hemostasis biomarkers and risk of sepsis: the REGARDS cohort. J Thromb Haemost. 2016 Nov;14(11):2169-2176. doi: 10.1111/jth.13446. Epub 2016 Sep 23. PubMed PMID: 27512924; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5503746.
- Moore JX, Donnelly JP, Griffin R, Howard G, Safford MM, Wang HE. Defining Sepsis Mortality Clusters in the United States.Crit Care Med. 2016 Jul;44(7):1380-7. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000001665. PubMed PMID: 27105174; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4911271.
NEWS AND MEDIA
Dr. Moore’s work on identifying “hot spots” of colon cancer were highlighted during WJBF’s The Means Report:
The Means Report; Where you live could impact your colon cancer risk
Dr. Moore’s work on geographic “hot spots” of breast cancer mortality within the United States was highlighted by national public radio:
Dr. Moore’s work on COVID-19 disparities in Georgia have been highlighted by local WRDW news:
ALL NEWS COVERAGE
2021
“Young age, housing insecurity primary factors in vaccine hesitancy among African Americans”
“MCG researching who is vaccine hesitant”
Link: https://www.wjbf.com/news/mcg-researching-who-is-vaccine-hesitant/
“Chadwick Boseman’s tragedy is America’s tragedy: In colorectal cancer hot spots, young men are dying at higher rates”
Link: https://www.statnews.com/2021/06/22/colorectal-cancer-hot-spots-young-men-dying-higher-rates/
“Hampshire College Alum Dr. Justin Xavier Moore Awarded Five-Year NIH Grant”
“New group at MCG hopes to diversify the medical field”
Link: https://www.wrdw.com/2021/03/08/new-group-at-mcg-hopes-to-diversify-the-medical-field/
“Racial Disparities In Health Care: The Toll Of COVID-19 On Communities Of Color”
“Racial Disparities In Health Care: A Matter Of Life And Death”
Link: https://jagwire.augusta.edu/racial-disparities-in-health-care-a-matter-of-life-and-death/
“Augusta University Health tackles vaccine hesitancy in the Black community”
“At 105, Augusta educator and activist leads COVID-19 vaccine push”
2020
“Black Men's Organization Hosts COVID-19 Relief Events”
“100 Black Men of Augusta to hold COVID-19 relief, testing events”
“‘100 Black Men of Augusta’ to bring free COVID-19 testing to local barbershops and churches”
“Identifying hotspots of low mammography screening in Black, Hispanic women”
“JENNIE: Breast Cancer Hot Spots”
Link: https://www.wjbf.com/featured/jennie/jennie-breast-cancer-hot-spots/
“Where you live could impact your colon cancer risk”
Link: https://www.wjbf.com/featured/the-means-report/where-you-live-could-impact-your-colon-cancer-risk/
“Black death rate from COVID-19 in Georgia far higher across all ages”
“States' reopening adds heavy weight to rise in COVID-19 cases”
“Analysis: Georgia faring much worse than South Carolina in pandemic rates.”
“AU Study: Rural black counties in Georgia suffer highest COVID-10 death rates”
“AU Study: Rural black counties in Georgia suffer highest COVID-10 death rates”
2018
“When it comes to breast cancer deaths, place and race…”
“Cancer Hot Spots Identified in Southeast Missouri”
Link: http://news.wsiu.org/post/cancer-hot-spots-identified-southeast-missouri#stream/0
“Alumni Spotlight – Justin Moore, PHD, MPH”
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdiD2txT-E
“Study finds breast-cancer hot spot in Southeast Missouri”
Link: https://www.semissourian.com/story/2539223.html
2015
“UAB study shows that injury rates from wearing high-heeled shoes …”