Karl Munger

Research/Areas of Interest

My research group studies the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the oncogenicity of "high-risk" human papillomaviruses (HPVs), which cause almost all cases of cervical carcinomas and a large proportion of other anogenital tract and oral cancers. While cervical cancer rates have been decreasing in the US, rates of HPV associated anal and oral cancers are on the rise, and cervical carcinomas remain a major cause of cancer death in women, worldwide. Current prophylactic vaccines do not alter disease progression in already infected individuals and since vaccination rates in the US remain low, high-risk HPV infections will remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We also investigate cutaneous HPVs, as well as certain animal papillomaviruses, to investigate how infections with these viruses contribute to skin carcinogenesis.