Nikesha J. Gilmore, Ph.D.
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Nikesha J. Gilmore, Ph.D.
About Me
Dr. Gilmore received her Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MS?CI) from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2022, with training in geriatric oncology, epidemiology, public health, and clinical investigation. Her master’s thesis examined the relationship between inflammation, functional decline, and physical resilience in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. She earned her PhD in Pathology from the s University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2014, with doctoral training in immunology, molecular pathology, and tumor biology. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the role of nonclassical MHC class I molecules in tumorigenesis. She also holds a Master of Science in Pathology (2009) from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where her research examined the role of stromal interactions and androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer progression, utilizing molecular pathology approaches and animal models. Dr. Gilmore completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2006 fro Lincoln University.
Following her doctoral training, Dr. Gilmore pursued advanced clinical and translational research training through nationally competitive programs. From 2018 to 2020, she was supported by an NCI R25/T32 Fellowship at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, focusing on clinical cancer control, behavioral science, and geriatric oncology. She subsequently served as a KL2 Scholar from 2020 to 2022 in the Department of Surgery, Division of Supportive Care in Cancer, where she received advanced training in randomized clinical trials, nutraceutical interventions, and health disparities research. These experiences provided the foundation for her transition to faculty and the development of an independent translational research program.
Faculty Appointments
Assistant Professor - Department of Surgery, Cancer Control (SMD)
Credentials
Education
PhD | University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. Pathology. 2014
MS | University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. Pathology. 2009
BS | Lincoln University. Biology. 2004
Research
A central focus of Dr. Gilmore’s research is the study of biological aging processes in the context of cancer and its treatment. She investigates inflammatory, immune, and epigenetic markers associated with accelerated aging and examines how these markers relate to frailty, functional decline, and clinical outcomes in older adults with cancer. By leveraging longitudinal clinical and biospecimen data, her work aims to identify biologically informed predictors of vulnerability and resilience across the cancer care continuum. Building on this mechanistic work, Dr. Gilmore leads clinical and translational research designed to reduce aging?related vulnerability during cancer survivorship. She is the Principal Investigator of the ReFOCUS trials, which examines the effects of an anti?inflammatory nutraceutical on frailty and systemic inflammation among older cancer survivors. This trial directly tests whether targeting inflammatory pathways can reduce frailty, reflecting her commitment to translating biological discovery into scalable, patient?centered interventions.
In parallel, Dr. Gilmore examines how aging?related vulnerability shapes the cancer care experience, with particular attention to communication among older adults with cancer, their caregivers, and oncology clinicians. Her work evaluates how frailty and functional limitations influence clinical discussions and supportive care needs, and assesses strategies to improve patient?centered communication in oncology settings. Dr. Gilmore’s research also emphasizes the incorporation of older adults and their care partners into oncology research. She contributes to stakeholder?engaged approaches that ensure study designs, outcome measures, and interventions reflect real?world priorities. Through this work, she aims to advance geriatric oncology science while informing clinical practices that promote functional health, resilience, and meaningful engagement in care for older adults with cancer.
Dr. Gilmore is also committed to advancing the development of the next generation of clinical and translational researchers through mentorship, team?based research, and collaborative training experiences. She supports students, trainees, and early?career investigators in building rigorous, patient?centered research programs in geriatric oncology, with an emphasis on scientific excellence and the translation of discovery into meaningful improvements in cancer care for older adults.
Publications
Journal Articles
Hryniv S, Gilbride E, Consagra W, Mohile S, Yilmaz S, Kyi K, Kadambi S, Jensen-Battaglia M, Gilmore N, Whitehead M, Khatri J, Braiteh FS, Conlin A, Loh KP, Magnuson A
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2025 December 1217 (2):102832. Epub 12/12/2025.
Gilmore N, Li Y, Seplaki CL, Sohn M, Yang Y, Li CS, Loh KP, Lin PJ, Kleckner A, Mohamed M, Vertino P, Peppone L, Mustian K, Kadambi S, Corso SW, Esparaz B, Giguere JK, Mohile S, Janelsins MC
The oncologist.. 2025 February 630 (2)Epub 1900 01 01.
Kadambi S, Kehoe L, Wells M, Patil A, Lei L, Lewis-Thames MW, Job A, Zhang Y, Flannery M, Gilmore N, Vogel VG, Philip T, Hopkins JO, Whitehead M, Magnuson A, Mohile S, Norton SA
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2025 January 16 (1):102065. Epub 09/10/2024.
Kehoe LA, Sohn MB, Wang L, Mohile S, Kamen C, Van Orden K, Wells M, Gilmore N, Arana-Chicas E, Gudina A, Yilmez S, Griggs L, Loh KP
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2024 November 15 (8):102061. Epub 09/10/2024.
Mohamed M, Ahmed M, Williams AM, Gilmore N, Lin PJ, Yilmaz S, Jensen-Battaglia M, Mustian K, Janelsins M, Mohile S
Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice.. 2024 August 18 (4):1089-1130. Epub 05/14/2024.
Kamaraju S, McKoy J, Williams GR, Gilmore N, Minami C, Bylow K, Rajalingam H, Cortina CS, Beckert A, Stolley M, Bullock D, Kurzrock R, Jatoi A
Current oncology reports.. 2024 August 26 (8):855-864. Epub 05/27/2024.
Gilmore N, Grant SJ, Bethea TN, Schiaffino MK, Klepin HD, Dale W, Hardi A, Mandelblatt J, Mohile S,
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.. 2024 June 72 (6):1867-1900. Epub 04/09/2024.
Loh KP, Wang Y, Sanapala C, Gilmore N, Netherby-Winslow C, Mendler JH, Liesveld J, Huselton E, Williams AM, Klepin HD, Jensen-Battaglia M, Mustian K, Vertino P, Susiarjo M, Janelsins MC
Experimental gerontology.. 2024 March 187 :112364. Epub 01/25/2024.
Gilmore N, Loh KP, Liposits G, Arora SP, Vertino P, Janelsins M
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2024 January 15 (1):101655. Epub 11/06/2023.
Magnuson A, Loh KP, Stauffer F, Dale W, Gilmore N, Kadambi S, Klepin HD, Kyi K, Lowenstein LM, Phillips T, Ramsdale E, Schiaffino MK, Simmons JF, Williams GR, Zittel J, Mohile S
CA: a cancer journal for clinicians.. 2024 74 (6):496-518. Epub 08/29/2024.
Kyi K, Gilmore N, Kadambi S, Loh KP, Magnuson A
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2023 November 14 (8):101593. Epub 07/29/2023.
Loh KP, Consagra W, Magnuson A, Baran A, Gilmore N, Giri S, LoCastro M, Isom S, Sohn MB, Williams GR, Houston DK, Nicklas B, Kritchevsky S, Klepin HD
Experimental gerontology.. 2023 June 15177 :112185. Epub 04/29/2023.
Loh KP, Sanapala C, Jensen-Battaglia M, Rana A, Sohn MB, Watson E, Gilmore N, Klepin HD, Mendler JH, Liesveld J, Huselton E, LoCastro M, Susiarjo M, Netherby-Winslow C, Williams AM, Mustian K, Vertino P, Janelsins MC
European journal of medical research.. 2023 May 3028 (1):180. Epub 05/30/2023.
Lin PJ, Altman BJ, Gilmore NJ, Loh KP, Dunne RF, Bautista J, Fung C, Janelsins MC, Peppone LJ, Melnik MK, Gococo KO, Messino MJ, Mustian KM
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN.. 2023 February 21 (2):153-162.e2. Epub 1900 01 01.
Gilmore N, Culakova E, Mohile S
The oncologist.. 2022 October 127 (10):e820-e821. Epub 1900 01 01.
Kehoe L, Sanapala C, DiGiovanni G, Yousefi-Nooraie R, Yilmaz S, Bauer J, Loh KP, Norton S, Duberstein P, Kamen C, Gilmore N, Gudina A, Kleckner A, Mohile S, Epstein RM
Patient education and counseling.. 2022 October 105 (10):3116-3122. Epub 06/09/2022.
Williams GR, Al-Obaidi M, Harmon C, Dai C, Outlaw D, Gbolahan O, Khushman M, Nyrop KA, Gilmore N, Bhatia S, Giri S
Cancer.. 2022 June 15128 (12):2313-2319. Epub 04/11/2022.
Belcher EK, Culakova E, Gilmore NJ, Hardy SJ, Kleckner AS, Kleckner IR, Lei L, Heckler C, Sohn MB, Thompson BD, Lotta LT, Werner ZA, Geer J, Hopkins JO, Corso SW, Rich DQ, van Wijngaarden E, Janelsins MC
Journal of the National Cancer Institute.. 2022 May 9114 (5):712-721. Epub 1900 01 01.
Yilmaz S, Sanapala C, Schiaffino MK, Schumacher JR, Wallington SF, McKoy JM, Canin B, Tang W, Tucker-Seeley RD, Simmons J, Gilmore N
American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book. 2022 April 42 :1-13. Epub 1900 01 01.
Gilmore N, Xu H, Kehoe L, Kleckner AS, Moorthi K, Lei L, Mohamed MRS, Loh KPM, Culakova E, Flannery M, Ramsdale E, Duberstein PR, Canin B, Kamen C, Giri G, Watson E, Patil A, Onitilo AA, Burnette B, Janelsins M, Mohile SG
Cancer.. 2022 March 1128 (5):1101-1109. Epub 11/11/2021.
Lund JL, Duberstein PR, Loh KP, Gilmore N, Plumb S, Lei L, Keil AP, Islam JY, Hanson LC, Giguere JK, Vogel VG, Burnette BL, Mohile SG
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2022 March 13 (2):176-181. Epub 09/02/2021.
Janelsins MC, Lei L, Netherby-Winslow C, Kleckner AS, Kerns S, Gilmore N, Belcher E, Thompson BD, Werner ZA, Hopkins JO, Long J, Cole S, Culakova E
Journal of neuroimmunology.. 2022 January 15362 :577769. Epub 11/19/2021.
Kleckner AS, Wells M, Kehoe LA, Gilmore NJ, Xu H, Magnuson A, Dunne RF, Jensen-Battaglia M, Mohamed MR, O'Rourke MA, Vogelzang NJ, Dib EG, Peppone LJ, Mohile SG
JCO oncology practice.. 2022 January 18 (1):e9-e19. Epub 07/06/2021.
Gilmore N, Kehoe L, Bauer J, Xu H, Hall B, Wells M, Lei L, Culakova E, Flannery M, Grossman VA, Sardari RA, Subramanya H, Kadambi S, Belcher E, Kettinger J, O'Rourke MA, Dib EG, Vogelzang NJ, Dale W, Mohile S
The oncologist.. 2021 December 26 (12):e2181-e2191. Epub 09/19/2021.
Mohile SG, Mohamed MR, Xu H, Culakova E, Loh KP, Magnuson A, Flannery MA, Obrecht S, Gilmore N, Ramsdale E, Dunne RF, Wildes T, Plumb S, Patil A, Wells M, Lowenstein L, Janelsins M, Mustian K, Hopkins JO, Berenberg J, Anthony N, Dale W
Lancet.. 2021 November 20398 (10314):1894-1904. Epub 11/03/2021.
Gudina AT, Cheruvu VK, Gilmore NJ, Kleckner AS, Arana-Chicas E, Kehoe LA, Belcher EK, Cupertino AP
Cancer epidemiology.. 2021 October 74 :101996. Epub 07/29/2021.
Xu H, Kadambi S, Mohile SG, Yang S, Kehoe LA, Wells M, Culakova E, Kamen C, Obrecht S, Mohamed M, Gilmore NJ, Magnuson A, Grossman VA, Hopkins JO, Geer J, Berenberg J, Mustian K, Cupertino A, Mohile N, Loh KP
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2021 September 12 (7):1015-1021. Epub 04/12/2021.
Sedrak MS, Gilmore NJ, Carroll JE, Muss HB, Cohen HJ, Dale W
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.. 2021 July 139 (19):2079-2089. Epub 05/27/2021.
Gilmore N, Mohile S, Lei L, Culakova E, Mohamed M, Magnuson A, Loh KP, Maggiore R, Belcher E, Conlin A, Weiselberg L, Ontko M, Janelsins M
Breast cancer research : BCR.. 2021 February 523 (1):19. Epub 02/05/2021.
Mohamed MR, Ramsdale E, Loh KP, Xu H, Patil A, Gilmore N, Obrecht S, Wells M, Nightingale G, Juba KM, Faller B, Onitilo A, Bradley T, Culakova E, Holmes H, Mohile SG
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN.. 2021 January 2219 (3):267-274. Epub 01/22/2021.
Inglis JE, Kleckner AS, Lin PJ, Gilmore NJ, Culakova E, VanderWoude AC, Mustian KM, Fernandez ID, Dunne RF, Deutsch J, Peppone LJ
Nutrition and cancer.. 2021 73 (9):1676-1686. Epub 08/19/2020.
Kadambi S, Loh KP, Dunne R, Magnuson A, Maggiore R, Zittel J, Flannery M, Inglis J, Gilmore N, Mohamed M, Ramsdale E, Mohile S
Nature reviews. Clinical oncology.. 2020 December 17 (12):742-755. Epub 09/02/2020.
Loh KP, Duberstein P, Zittel J, Lei L, Culakova E, Xu H, Plumb S, Flannery MA, Magnuson A, Bautista J, Wittink M, Gilmore N, Targia V, Conlin A, Berenberg J, Vogel VG, Mohile SG
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2020 July 11 (6):1006-1010. Epub 12/30/2019.
Gilmore N, Kadambi S, Lei L, Loh KP, Mohamed M, Magnuson A, Cole S, Esparaz BT, Giguere JK, Mohile S, Janelsins M
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2020 April 11 (3):423-430. Epub 04/13/2019.
Mohile SG, Epstein RM, Hurria A, Heckler CE, Canin B, Culakova E, Duberstein P, Gilmore N, Xu H, Plumb S, Wells M, Lowenstein LM, Flannery MA, Janelsins M, Magnuson A, Loh KP, Kleckner AS, Mustian KM, Hopkins JO, Liu JJ, Geer J, Gorawara-Bhat R, Morrow GR, Dale W
JAMA oncology.. 2020 February 16 (2):196-204. Epub 1900 01 01.
Kim E, Jiang M, Huang H, Zhang Y, Tjota N, Gao X, Robert J, Gilmore N, Gan L, Que J
Developmental cell.. 2019 December 1651 (6):675-683.e4. Epub 12/05/2019.
Gilmore NJ, Canin B, Whitehead M, Sedenquist M, Griggs L, Finch L, Grossman V, Targia V, Wells M, Kamen C, Flannery M, Magnuson A, Plumb S, Obrecht S, Lowenstein LM, Lopez G, Anderson J, Berenberg J, Vogel V, Bearden J, Dale W, Mohile SG
Cancer.. 2019 December 1125 (23):4124-4133. Epub 08/16/2019.
Loh KP, Mohile SG, Epstein RM, McHugh C, Flannery M, Culakova E, Lei L, Wells M, Gilmore N, Babu D, Whitehead MI, Dale W, Hurria A, Wittink M, Magnuson A, Conlin A, Thomas M, Berenberg J, Duberstein PR
Cancer.. 2019 July 15125 (14):2506-2513. Epub 03/28/2019.
Loh KP, Mohile SG, Lund JL, Epstein R, Lei L, Culakova E, McHugh C, Wells M, Gilmore N, Mohamed MR, Kamen C, Aarne V, Conlin A, Bearden J, Onitilo A, Wittink M, Dale W, Hurria A, Duberstein P
The oncologist.. 2019 June 24 (6):e292-e302. Epub 04/23/2019.
Pandya C, Magnuson A, Flannery M, Zittel J, Duberstein P, Loh KP, Ramsdale E, Gilmore N, Dale W, Mohile SG
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.. 2019 May 67 (5):998-1004. Epub 03/08/2019.
Kehoe LA, Xu H, Duberstein P, Loh KP, Culakova E, Canin B, Hurria A, Dale W, Wells M, Gilmore N, Kleckner AS, Lund J, Kamen C, Flannery M, Hoerger M, Hopkins JO, Liu JJ, Geer J, Epstein R, Mohile SG
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.. 2019 May 67 (5):969-977. Epub 03/29/2019.
Magnuson A, Lei L, Gilmore N, Kleckner AS, Lin FV, Ferguson R, Hurria A, Wittink MN, Esparaz BT, Giguere JK, Misleh J, Bautista J, Mohile SG, Janelsins MC
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.. 2019 May 67 (5):928-936. Epub 1900 01 01.
Ramsdale E, Lemelman T, Loh KP, Flannery M, Kehoe L, Mullaney T, Wells M, Gilmore N, Plumb S, Mohile S
Journal of geriatric oncology.. 2018 September 9 (5):534-539. Epub 03/09/2018.
Mohile SG, Magnuson A, Pandya C, Velarde C, Duberstein P, Hurria A, Loh KP, Wells M, Plumb S, Gilmore N, Flannery M, Wittink M, Epstein R, Heckler CE, Janelsins M, Mustian K, Hopkins JO, Liu J, Peri S, Dale W
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN.. 2018 March 16 (3):301-309. Epub 1900 01 01.
Haynes-Gilmore N, Banach M, Edholm ES, Lord E, Robert J
Carcinogenesis.. 2014 August 35 (8):1807-13. Epub 04/28/2014.
Edholm ES, Albertorio Saez LM, Gill AL, Gill SR, Grayfer L, Haynes N, Myers JR, Robert J
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2013 August 27110 (35):14342-7. Epub 08/12/2013.
Nedelkovska H, Edholm ES, Haynes N, Robert J
Biology open.. 2013 March 152 (3):335-42. Epub 01/29/2013.
Bellodi C, Krasnykh O, Haynes N, Theodoropoulou M, Peng G, Montanaro L, Ruggero D
Cancer research.. 2010 July 1570 (14):6026-35. Epub 06/29/2010.