Department: College of Medicine
COP: Computational Social Sciences, Sensing Driven Collaborative Science
Interests: Chemoprevention, Diet Therapy, Gastrointestinal Microbiome and Neoplasms, Inflammation, Nutritional Sciences, Obesity, Observational Study, Patient Reported Outcome Measures, Precision Medicine, Risk Factors, Survivorship, and Tumor Microenvironment

BIO

Dr. Tabung is an associate professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University and a member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the OSUCCC - James. His research focuses on understanding how diet and metabolism influence cancer biology, risk, and treatment outcomes. Inspired by early experiences in a pathology lab, where he observed many cancers diagnosed at advanced stages, he pursued cancer prevention and the role of nutrition in improving outcomes. He leads the Diet, Metabolism, and Cancer Prevention Outcomes Lab, which investigates how diet-related metabolic imbalances, including those associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, influence cancer development and progression. Through the Population Science and Data Integration (PSDI) model, his research connects population studies, clinical research, and translational efforts to develop practical dietary interventions that support cancer prevention and survivorship.

His lab also provides interdisciplinary training for students interested in how diet and other lifestyle factors interact with biology to influence cancer risk and treatment response. Dr. Tabung has earned national and international recognition, including designation as an American Cancer Society Research Scholar and service on the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research Mechanisms Expert Committee. He serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board, as chair of the Subcommittee on Global Cancer Research. Currently exceeding 160 publications in peer-reviewed journals, his research continues to advance evidence-based approaches to cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship.