Michelle A. Ozbun, PhD
Full Member
Co-Director
Women’s Cancers Research Program
Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Education:
Baylor College of Medicine, Ph.D. 1994
Penn State College of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellowship 1994-1998
Research Interests
The focus of research in our lab is on the differentiation-dependent life cycles of papillomaviruses and how the life cycles are disrupted leading to malignancies. Primarily, our group focuses on the study of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), but we also investigate infections by bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1). We have recently established an animal model for HPV-related anogenital infection, host-response and disease using rhesus papillomavirus type 1 infections in rhesus macaques.
The long-term goals of our research program are to elucidate the cellular and viral mechanisms that regulate the life cycles of papillomaviruses, and to understand the delicate virus-cell interactions that can become unbalanced, leading to malignancy. We are specifically interested in three areas of research with respect to infections and cancer: (i) Investigating the strategies of initial HPV replication upon infection and the mechanisms for establishment of viral persistence; (ii) Identifying the step(s) of HPV infection at which host range and tissue tropism are demonstrated; (iii) Analyzing potential common pathways used by various co-factors, which cooperate with HPVs in causing cancers.Program