Dr. Cooney is Chair of the Duke Department of Medicine.
She is a medical oncologist focused in caring for men with prostate cancer, and is internationally known for her investigations focused on the genetic epidemiology of prostate cancer.
Her research led to the important discovery of a recurrent mutation in the HOXB13 gene that increases the chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and is estimated to account for 5 percent of hereditary prostate cancer cases worldwide. Since men with HOXB13 mutations are at an increased risk of prostate cancer, they may benefit from participation in screening and potentially prevention protocols in the future.
Dr. Cooney’s research continues with federal funding to identify germline mutations associated with lethal and aggressive prostate cancer as well as prostate cancer in African American men.
Education and Training
- Fellow, Hematology / Oncology, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 1988 - 1991
- Chief Medical Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 1987 - 1988
- Intern/Resident, Internal Medicine, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 1984 - 1987
- M.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1984
Grants
- The Contribution of Rare Variants in Familial Clustering of Prostate and Breast Cancer in African Americans
- The Role of Mutations in BRCA2 and Other Known and Novel Cancer Susceptibility Genes in Inherited Risk for Lethal Prostate Cancer - IMPACT
- Characterizing the Genetic Landscape of Prostate Cancer in Young African American Men