Dustin Valdez
Postdoctoral Researcher
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, building on my PhD in Nutritional Sciences at UH Mānoa. My research focuses on cancer prevention and risk stratification in medically underserved and multiethnic populations, integrating deployable imaging technologies, epidemiology, and interpretable artificial intelligence. During my doctoral training, I investigated breast cancer disparities among Native Hawaiian women using population-based cohort and registry data, clarifying the role of metabolic risk factors in shaping cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis. In my postdoctoral work, I am expanding this program to metabolic dysfunction–associated liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, developing structured imaging-based models to support equitable, scalable cancer prevention strategies. I am committed to advancing data-driven, prevention-focused frameworks that translate rigorously evaluated technologies into real-world impact in resource-constrained settings. In my free time, I enjoy practicing taekwondo and taiko drumming.
Publications (14)
-
Ethnic Mixture and Body Mass Index as Modifiers of Breast Cancer Risk among Native Hawaiian Women: Insights from the Multiethnic Cohort
Valdez D, Abe JV, Bohmann P, Bogumil D, Wilkens LR, Marchand LL, Haiman CA, Shepherd JA, Maskarinec G
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2026· doi:10.1158/1055-9965.epi-25-1101 -
Artificial intelligence-enhanced handheld breast ultrasound for screening: A systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Strand F, Glaser Y, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
PLOS Digital Health, 2025· doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0001019 -
Prediction of mammographic breast density based on clinical breast ultrasound images using deep learning: a retrospective analysis
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Wolfgruber T, Quon BK, Hung K, Hernandez BY, Seto TB, Killeen J, Miyoshi M, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 2025· doi:10.1016/j.lana.2025.101096 -
Artificial Intelligence-Informed Handheld Breast Ultrasound for Screening: A Systematic Review of Diagnostic Test Accuracy
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Strand F, Glaser Y, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
arXiv (Cornell University), 2024· doi:10.48550/arxiv.2411.07322 -
Deep Learning Predicts Mammographic Breast Density in Clinical Breast Ultrasound Images
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Wolfgruber T, Quon BK, Hung K, Hernandez BY, Seto TB, Killeen J, Marshall M, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
arXiv (Cornell University), 2024· doi:10.48550/arxiv.2411.00891 -
Abstract PO5-08-12: Ethnic Admixture Affects Breast Cancer Incidence in Native Hawaiians: The Multiethnic Cohort
Valdez D, Bunnell A, Bogumil D, Maskarinec G, Shepherd J
Cancer Research, 2024· doi:10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs23-po5-08-12 -
Abstract 3449: Is AI-enhanced breast ultrasound ready for breast cancer screening in low-resource environments? A systematic review
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Strand F, Glaser Y, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
Cancer Research, 2024· doi:10.1158/1538-7445.am2024-3449 -
Performance of Progressive Generations of GPT on an Exam Designed for Certifying Physicians as Certified Clinical Densitometrists
Valdez D, Bunnell A, Lim SY, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
Journal of Clinical Densitometry, 2024· doi:10.1016/j.jocd.2024.101480 -
Learning a Clinically-Relevant Concept Bottleneck for Lesion Detection in Breast Ultrasound
Bunnell A, Glaser Y, Valdez D, Wolfgruber T, Altamirano A, González CZ, Hernandez BY, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
Lecture notes in computer science, 2024· doi:10.1007/978-3-031-72384-1_61 -
Performance of progressive generations of GPT on an exam designed for certifying physicians as Certified Clinical Densitometrists (Preprint)
Valdez D, Bunnell A, Lim SY, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
, 2023· doi:10.2196/preprints.49529 -
Abstract P3-03-02: Can artificial intelligence derived ultrasound breast density provide comparable breast cancer risk estimates to density derived from mammograms
Valdez D, Bunnell A, Wolfgruber T, Altamirano A, Quon BK, Maskarinec G, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
Cancer Research, 2023· doi:10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs22-p3-03-02 -
Abstract P3-04-05: Artificial Intelligence Detects, Classifies, and Describes Lesions in Clinical Breast Ultrasound Images
Bunnell A, Valdez D, Wolfgruber T, Altamirano A, Hernandez BY, Sadowski P, Shepherd J
Cancer Research, 2023· doi:10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs22-p3-04-05 -
Abstract P3-01-13: Comparing portable and clinical ultrasound systems using 3D printed breast phantom inserts
Valdez D, Fukui J, Wolfgruber T, Leong LT, Maskarinec G, Shepherd J
Cancer Research, 2022· doi:10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs21-p3-01-13 -
Technical note: Low clinical efficacy, but good acceptability of a point‐of‐care electronic palpation device for breast cancer screening for a lower middle‐income environment
Valdez D, Cruz T, Rania S, Badowski G, Cassel K, Wolfgruber T, Grosskreutz S, Dulana L, Adonay R, Maskarinec G, Shepherd J
Medical Physics, 2022· doi:10.1002/mp.15499