Myles G. Cockburn

Myles Cockburn is Professor in Population and Public Health Sciences, Dermatology and Spatial Sciences, focusing on cancer etiology and prevention. A native of New Zealand, he came to the University of Southern California to study melanoma risk factors and to design methods for improved primary prevention and screening.

His current research focuses on improving SunSmart attitudes and behaviors in school children throughout Los Angeles, developing skin self examination methods for effective skin cancer screening, and working with clinical dermatologists and oncologists to better understand the complex role of UV in melanogenesis.

Incorporating his background in GIS and spatial sciences, he has worked extensively on elucidating the role of pesticide exposures in hormone-related cancers and Parkinson’s Disease with collaborators from UCLA and elsewhere in California. In his role in the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program, he is responsible for the development and dissemination of novel methods for improving cancer control, particularly in diverse and underserved populations.

Dr. Cockburn mentors a number of Ph.D. students who are trained in all aspects of epidemiologic investigation while participating in, and often taking a leading role in, his ongoing research studies.

Dr. Cockburn is a member of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center, and USC’s Spatial Sciences Institute.

Ph.D., Epidemiology, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand
PGDip, Geography, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand
B.A., Geography/Math, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand