About

James L. Mohler, Ph.D., is a professor of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) at Purdue University. He has served in various administrative roles over the past 10 years, including Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Interim Director of the Division of Interdisciplinary Technology Studies, and Associate Vice President of Research Integrity, Compliance and Care. In his current role, Dr. Mohler provides executive leadership and coordination across research compliance areas such as IRB, IACUC, COI/COC, Export Control, and Research Security, as well as animal care areas. He is a University Faculty Scholar and a member of the Purdue University Teaching Academy. Dr. Mohler has contributed to over 21 texts related to computer graphics and media development and authored more than 71 articles for refereed, reviewed, or trade publications. His research interests include spatial ability, spatial assessment, visual intelligence, and academic leadership.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Biology
• Genetics
• Oncology
• Demography
• Gynecology
• Pathology
• Economic growth
• Nursing
• Family medicine
• Environmental health
• Urology
• Microbiology
• Gerontology

Selected publications

• Association Between Dietary Folate and Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Among African Americans and European Americans

  Scholar Commons (University of South Carolina) · 2026-02-26

  articleOpen access

  Background: Despite the confirmed beneficial effects on preventing neural tube defects, concerns about high intakes of synthetic folate, or folic acid, in promoting cancer progression have been raised. This study evaluated the association between folate intake and prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness among African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) males. Methods: This study included 722 AA and 775 EA men with prostate cancer. Folate intake (dietary folate equivalent (DFE), synthetic folate, natural folate) was estimated using the National Cancer Institute Dietary History Questionnaire and detailed dietary supplement use questionnaire. Analyses included univariable comparisons of demographic and clinical characteristics of the two racial groups using the t-test or its non-parametric counterpart, the Wilcoxon test for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations of each source of folate intake with PCa aggressiveness. Interaction effects between folate intake levels and racial groups were tested to evaluate if the association between folate intake and PCa differed by racial groups. Results: A greater proportion of AA subjects were diagnosed with high PCa aggressiveness compared to EAs (31.6% vs. 21.7%; p < 0.001). Both AAs and EAs had associations between decreased DFE intake and PCa aggressiveness after adjusting for covariates. Among AAs, men with the highest quartile levels of synthetic folate intake had higher odds of high-aggressive PCa compared to those with the lowest levels of intake (adj. OR = 1.39; p = 0.27), while the reversed association became stronger among EAs (adj. OR = 0.62; p = 0.14). Conclusions: The association between folate intake and prostate cancer aggressiveness appears to be source-specific and modified by race. These findings highlight the need for population-informed nutritional guidance and further investigation into nutrient–gene and dietary pattern interactions in prostate cancer progression.

  PublisherDOI

• Integrating Pathogenic Variants, Polygenic Risk Score, and Family History for Prostate Cancer Risk Estimation in Men of African Ancestry.

  UNC Libraries · 2026-05-08

  articleOpen access

  The impact of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in cancer predisposition genes on risk of prostate cancer (PCa) remains understudied in large populations of African ancestry. This study aims to characterize the range of genetic risk of PCa and aggressive disease phenotypes in men of African ancestry.We analyzed 7176 PCa cases and 4873 controls from seven countries across North America and Africa to assess the association between PVs in 37 cancer predisposition genes and the risk of overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa. Genes significantly associated with PCa risk were used to estimate lifetime absolute risk based on family history, polygenic risk score (PRS), and PV carrier status.PVs in ATM, BRCA2, CHEK2, HOXB13, and PALB2 were presented in 4% of aggressive/metastatic PCa cases and were significantly associated with an increased risk of aggressive PCa (odds ratio 2.18-5.96, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05). Lifetime absolute risk varied widely depending on PV carrier status, PRS, and family history, ranging from 3.0% to 74% for overall PCa, 0.6% to 41% for aggressive PCa, and 0.2% to 37% for metastatic PCa. PV carriers with a positive family history and a PRS in the 90th percentile had seven, 18, and 34 times the risks of overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa, respectively, compared with average-risk individuals. Oversampling of aggressive cases may limit the generalizability of these findings to screening populations.Integration of PV status, PRS, and family history enables more refined PCa risk estimates. The wide range of PCa risk observed among men of African ancestry in our study supports future prospective studies in the development of risk-stratified cancer screening programs to identify high-risk individuals who may benefit from screening at an earlier age.

  PublisherDOI

• Integrating Pathogenic Variants, Polygenic Risk Score, and Family History for Prostate Cancer Risk Estimation in Men of African Ancestry

  European Urology · 2025-11-11 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  In this largest to date exome sequencing study in men of African ancestry, germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in ATM , BRCA2 , CHEK2 , HOXB13 , and PALB2 genes were associated with an increasing risk of aggressive prostate cancer (PCa). By combing PV carrier status, polygenic risk score, and family history of PCa, we observed substantial gradients of lifetime absolute risk for overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa in African American men, which supports future development of more personalized risk-stratified cancer screening programs in contrast to the current recommendation of a uniformed screening strategy for this population. The impact of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in cancer predisposition genes on risk of prostate cancer (PCa) remains understudied in large populations of African ancestry. This study aims to characterize the range of genetic risk of PCa and aggressive disease phenotypes in men of African ancestry. We analyzed 7176 PCa cases and 4873 controls from seven countries across North America and Africa to assess the association between PVs in 37 cancer predisposition genes and the risk of overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa. Genes significantly associated with PCa risk were used to estimate lifetime absolute risk based on family history, polygenic risk score (PRS), and PV carrier status. PVs in ATM , BRCA2 , CHEK2 , HOXB13 , and PALB2 were presented in 4% of aggressive/metastatic PCa cases and were significantly associated with an increased risk of aggressive PCa (odds ratio 2.18–5.96, p < 0.05). Lifetime absolute risk varied widely depending on PV carrier status, PRS, and family history, ranging from 3.0% to 74% for overall PCa, 0.6% to 41% for aggressive PCa, and 0.2% to 37% for metastatic PCa. PV carriers with a positive family history and a PRS in the 90th percentile had seven, 18, and 34 times the risks of overall, aggressive, and metastatic PCa, respectively, compared with average-risk individuals. Oversampling of aggressive cases may limit the generalizability of these findings to screening populations. Integration of PV status, PRS, and family history enables more refined PCa risk estimates. The wide range of PCa risk observed among men of African ancestry in our study supports future prospective studies in the development of risk-stratified cancer screening programs to identify high-risk individuals who may benefit from screening at an earlier age.

  PublisherDOI

• The impact of marital status on tumor aggressiveness, treatment, and screening among black and white men diagnosed with prostate cancer

  UNC Libraries · 2025-07-25

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Evidence of Novel Susceptibility Variants for Prostate Cancer and a Multiancestry Polygenic Risk Score Associated with Aggressive Disease in Men of African Ancestry

  UNC Libraries · 2024-07-02

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Correction: Sharma et al. Microbial Biofilm: A Review on Formation, Infection, Antibiotic Resistance, Control Measures, and Innovative Treatment. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 1614

  Microorganisms · 2024-09-27 · 21 citations

  reviewOpen access

  In the original publication [...].

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Trusted Information Sources About the COVID-19 Vaccine Vary in Underserved Communities

  Journal of Community Health · 2024-02-01 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the deadliest global public health events. In the United States, over 1.1 million individuals have died, and now COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death (CDC, 2023). Vaccine uptake has stalled among different demographics. Vaccine hesitancy, a delay in accepting or refusing vaccines, poses a significant challenge regardless of the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. This study aimed to identify disparate COVID-19 vaccine uptake among individuals in Western New York. The primary objective was to identify the factors contributing to lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination within this population.Data were collected from 585 adults recruited from 20 Niagara and Erie Counties sites using a self-administered survey on vaccine hesitancy, vaccination status, and COVID-19-related characteristics. The survey included the adult Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (aVHS) and acquired information on demographic characteristics and COVID-19 impact, knowledge, and information sources. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and a logistic regression model.Findings suggest that unvaccinated participants (n = 35) were concerned about vaccine side effects (48.6%). For vaccinated/unboosted participants (n = 52), they (40.0%) reported clinical concerns. After adjusting for gender and age, healthcare provider guidance and family guidance remained significant predictors of vaccination status, while clinical research studies were significant predictors of booster status. Findings from this study suggest public health interventions that target vaccine education and facilitate well-informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines lead to less vaccine hesitancy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Classification of subtask types and skill levels in robot-assisted surgery using EEG, eye-tracking, and machine learning

  Surgical Endoscopy · 2024-07-22 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Objective and standardized evaluation of surgical skills in robot-assisted surgery (RAS) holds critical importance for both surgical education and patient safety. This study introduces machine learning (ML) techniques using features derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye-tracking data to identify surgical subtasks and classify skill levels. METHOD: The efficacy of this approach was assessed using a comprehensive dataset encompassing nine distinct classes, each representing a unique combination of three surgical subtasks executed by surgeons while performing operations on pigs. Four ML models, logistic regression, random forest, gradient boosting, and extreme gradient boosting (XGB) were used for multi-class classification. To develop the models, 20% of data samples were randomly allocated to a test set, with the remaining 80% used for training and validation. Hyperparameters were optimized through grid search, using fivefold stratified cross-validation repeated five times. Model reliability was ensured by performing train-test split over 30 iterations, with average measurements reported. RESULTS: The findings revealed that the proposed approach outperformed existing methods for classifying RAS subtasks and skills; the XGB and random forest models yielded high accuracy rates (88.49% and 88.56%, respectively) that were not significantly different (two-sample t-test; P-value = 0.9). CONCLUSION: These results underscore the potential of ML models to augment the objectivity and precision of RAS subtask and skill evaluation. Future research should consider exploring ways to optimize these models, particularly focusing on the classes identified as challenging in this study. Ultimately, this study marks a significant step towards a more refined, objective, and standardized approach to RAS training and competency assessment.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Development of performance and learning rate evaluation models in robot-assisted surgery using electroencephalography and eye-tracking

  npj Science of Learning · 2024-01-20 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The existing performance evaluation methods in robot-assisted surgery (RAS) are mainly subjective, costly, and affected by shortcomings such as the inconsistency of results and dependency on the raters’ opinions. The aim of this study was to develop models for an objective evaluation of performance and rate of learning RAS skills while practicing surgical simulator tasks. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye-tracking data were recorded from 26 subjects while performing Tubes, Suture Sponge, and Dots and Needles tasks. Performance scores were generated by the simulator program. The functional brain networks were extracted using EEG data and coherence analysis. Then these networks, along with community detection analysis, facilitated the extraction of average search information and average temporal flexibility features at 21 Brodmann areas (BA) and four band frequencies. Twelve eye-tracking features were extracted and used to develop linear random intercept models for performance evaluation and multivariate linear regression models for the evaluation of the learning rate. Results showed that subject-wise standardization of features improved the R 2 of the models. Average pupil diameter and rate of saccade were associated with performance in the Tubes task (multivariate analysis; p -value = 0.01 and p -value = 0.04, respectively). Entropy of pupil diameter was associated with performance in Dots and Needles task (multivariate analysis; p -value = 0.01). Average temporal flexibility and search information in several BAs and band frequencies were associated with performance and rate of learning. The models may be used to objectify performance and learning rate evaluation in RAS once validated with a broader sample size and tasks.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Abstract 2172: Associations between plant- and animal-based dietary patterns and aggressive prostate cancer in the North Carolina-Louisiana prostate cancer project (PCaP)

  Cancer Research · 2024-03-22

  articleSenior author

  Abstract Objective: Results of studies examining the association between a plant-based diet or animal food intake and prostate cancer have been mixed. Few studies have focused on aggressive prostate cancer in a racially diverse population. We examined the association between healthy and unhealthy plant-based and animal-based diet scores and aggressive prostate cancer in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project, a case-only study of Black and White men in the United States. Methods: Eighteen food groups were created and classified as healthy plant foods, unhealthy plant foods, or animal foods using dietary data collected from an interviewer-administered modified version of the National Cancer Institute Diet History Questionnaire among 909 Black and 991 White men with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer. High aggressive prostate cancer (n=332) was defined as Gleason sum ≥8; or PSA&amp;gt; 20ng/ml; or Gleason sum ≥7 and clinical stage T3-T4, and the comparison group was all other prostate cancer cases (n=1,568). Logistic regression was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for high aggressive prostate cancer by tertiles of dietary pattern scores. Results: A decreased odds of aggressive prostate cancer was observed among men in the upper compared to the bottom tertile for healthy plant-based diet score (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.15) and unhealthy plant-based diet score (OR: 0.89, 95%CI: 0.63, 1.25) while an increased odds was observed comparing extreme tertiles of the animal-based diet score (OR: 1.17. 95% CI: 0.84-1.65) after adjustment for multiple covariates, though confidence intervals were imprecise and not statistically significant. Associations tended to be stronger among White men than among Black men; e.g., for the animal-based diet score, ORs (95% CIs) were 1.41 (0.86, 2.37) and 1.02 (0.63, 1.66) for White and Black men, respectively. Conclusions: Consuming a plant-based dietary pattern may be associated with lower odds of aggressive prostate cancer while an animal-based dietary pattern may be associated with higher odds, though associations were weak and not statistically significant. Keywords: Healthy plant-based diet, unhealthy plant-based diet, animal-based diet, aggressive prostate cancer, racial disparities Conflict of interest: None Funding: PCaP is carried out as a collaborative study supported by the Department of Defense contract DAMD 17-03-2-0052. This research was made possible in part by Grant Numbers R01-CA259415 from NIH-NCI and T32-GM081740 from NIH-NIGMS. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIGMS or NIH. Citation Format: Jessica Sainyo, Susan E. Steck, Longgang Zhao, L. Joseph Su, Lenore Arab, David Turner, Ebonee N. Butler, Jeannette T. Bensen, Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, James L. Mohler. Associations between plant- and animal-based dietary patterns and aggressive prostate cancer in the North Carolina-Louisiana prostate cancer project (PCaP) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2172.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant P01CA077739

  NIH · $15.7M · 2017

• Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

  NIH · $99.9M · 1997–2029

• NIH Grant R21CA205108

  NIH · $422k · 2020

Frequent coauthors

• Jeannette T. Bensen

  286 shared

• Elizabeth T. H. Fontham

  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

  214 shared

• Mark Titus

  The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  145 shared

• Kristopher Attwood

  122 shared

• Gissou Azabdaftari

  109 shared

• Susan E. Steck

  University of South Carolina

  109 shared

• Lenore Arab

  University of California, Los Angeles

  103 shared

• Khurshid A. Guru

  Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

  101 shared

Awards & honors

• Ross Graduate Fellowship/Assistantship
• POSTECH Fellowship-Graduate Degree Collaboration