IUSM Center for HPV Research builds on vital work of Dr.

Darron Brown
November 19, 2015
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccination against it have dominated local
news recently, as Indiana tries to raise awareness about this common virus and
options available to prevent it. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted
infection in the world, affecting millions of people each yearnearly always with
no symptoms.
IU School of Medicine researchers played an important role in the development
of the HPV vaccine, which helps prevent complicated health problems such as
genital warts and cancer, and the school continues work to understand and
prevent infection throughout the world,
particularly through its Center for HPV
Research and Center for Global Health.
At the center of the groundbreaking work
to understand HPV and prevent infection
is Darron Brown, M.D., Professor of
Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and
Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
at IUSM. Dr. Brown was deeply involved
in developing the technology underlying the HPV vaccine, and he participated in
the research process for Gardasil, the HPV vaccine produced by Merck & Co.
Dr. Brown is currently traveling between Kenya and Morocco, working on a
global HPV project and presenting work on HPV cancer at the African Oncology
Conference.
As an extension of Dr. Browns breakthrough research, the Center for HPV
Research, an entity of the IUSM Department of Pediatrics, focuses on exploring
HPV transmission and infection and the consequences and prevention of
infection. Dr. Gregory Zimet, Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Psychology at
IU School of Medicine, and J. Dennis Fortenberry, M.D., M.S., Professor of
Pediatrics at IUSM (both in the Section of Adolescent Medicine), co-direct the
Center for HPV Research with support of the IUPUI Signature Center Initiative,
the IU Simon Cancer Center, and the IUSM Department of Pediatrics. The
Center encourages researchers throughout Indiana to exchange ideas and
explore opportunities for collaboration.
Among collaborators are IU School of Medicine students, residents and fellows.
At the Center for HPV Research, these trainees are given the opportunity to dive
into HPV research alongside experienced professionals.
We have Masters students, Ph.D. students, and post-docs working with us on
our research, said Dr. Zimet. Trainees get pulled into the center and attend
meetings; some receive formal financial support for postdoctoral work, and some

get academic support with research and collaboration networking. Some have
even presented their work at national and international scientific meetings.
Monica Kasting, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the IU Fairbanks
School of Public Health, believes that the centers research and development
work for HPV is extremely valuable.
I was at a conference last year, and when I told another researcher where I was
studying, he pointed out that a lot of great HPV research is coming out of
Indiana, said Kasting. This has helped advance the state of the science and
also solidified Indiana University's reputation as a leading and innovative
research institution.
Tracy Cummings is part of the research staff at IU School of Medicine and a
graduate student at the Fairbanks School of Public Health; shes working at the
Center for HPV Research. Shes been working with Drs. Zimet and Fortenberry
since 2007, focusing on STI studies and HPV, and said shes realized that a lot
of women dont really understand the tests they undergo and why theyre
important.
[A pap test] is something that women do without really knowing why, Cummings
said. She wonders how we can do a better job at explaining how HPV relates to
that routine test. Thats something that never really got translated to me as a
young woman, and I think that can change moving forward.
Community outreach is a big part of the Center for HPV Researchs work to
educate and inform the public about HPV research, medical developments and
the importance of HPV awareness.
I work with a group called Cervical Cancer-Free Indiana, said Dr. Zimet. Our
goal is to raise awareness about cervical cancer prevention and HPV
vaccination. This program is working to prevent women from going through the
experience of difficult surgeries and months of cancer treatmentsand ultimately
to save lives.
The HPV vaccine is recommended for people up to age 26 years, although
recommendations vary slightly for women and men. If you are interested in
becoming vaccinated for HPV, Student Health Services offers the vaccine at a
discounted rate. For more information on HPV research and prevention, visit the
IUSM Center for HPV Research and the American Sexual Health Association.