Dr. Karl Munger
Dr. Karl Munger’s group investigates how human papillomaviruses (HPVs) contribute to human carcinogenesis. High-risk HPVs cause cervical carcinoma as well as other anogenital tract and oral cancers. Cervical carcinoma is a leading cause of cancer death in young women worldwide, and the incidence of HPV associated cancers is increased in HIV-positive individuals. Another group of HPVs causes non-melanoma skin cancer in immunosuppressed organ transplant and AIDS patients. Dr. Munger’s group investigates how the viral proteins functionally reprogram the infected host cell and how this can lead to cancer development. In parallel they use genetic screens to uncover unique cellular vulnerabilities caused by expression of the HPV proteins in their host cells.
Dr. Margaret McLaughlin-Drubin
Together with Dr. Munger, Dr. Margaret McLaughlin-Drubin’s research focuses on how epigenetic changes induced by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) contribute to cancer development. She investigates how these epigenetic changes can be harnessed for therapeutic modalities for both HPV-positive as well as HPV-negative tumors.
