Research Summary

I am the founder and chair of the HPV Working Group of the NCI AIDS Malignancy Consortium and the head of the AMC HPV Virology Core Lab. I have extensive experience in studying the molecular biology of HPV infection in HIV-positive men and women and in the design and implementation of clinical research trials of HPV-related disease in this population. I am the protocol chair of the ANCHOR study, an eight-year, 15-site NCI/NIH-funded randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions prevents anal cancer in HIV-infected men and women.

As the founder and director of the Anal Neoplasia Clinic, Research and Education Center at UCSF, I oversee training of clinicians from around the world in high-resolution anoscopy, anal biopsy, and office-based treatment. I have an active international research program, including currently active studies in India, Costa Rica and Thailand. I have published over 275 papers and am the PI on several laboratory-based and clinical research studies of HPV-associated neoplasia, particularly in the setting of HIV infection.

I am currently the president of the International Papillomavirus Society and the founder and immediate past president of the International Anal Neoplasia Society. I have been the leader of the UCSF Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Clinical Research Fellowship Program for medical students since 2001; since 2006, I have led a T32 program devoted to training pre-doctoral students in clinical and translational research. These year-out programs provide support for an intensive year of coursework and project-oriented research with the goal of stimulating pre-doctoral students to pursue further training and careers in clinical and translational research.

Research Funding

  • August 1, 2019 - July 31, 2024 - California-Mexico-Puerto Rico Partnership (CAMPO) Center for Prevention of HPV-related Cancer in HIV+ Populations , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U54CA242646
  • August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2022 - (PQ4) Anal HPV infection and anal HSIL among HIV-infected MSM aged 50+ years , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA206477
  • June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2020 - New therapeutic HPV vaccines for HIV infected men and women , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA217715
  • January 13, 2017 - December 31, 2019 - The Microbiome and Anal Cancer Pathogenesis in HIV-infected Men who have Sex with Men , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA203589
  • June 1, 2016 - May 31, 2019 - (PQ5) Role of HIV-associated cellular miRNAs in HPV 16-induced pathogenesis , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA206352
  • March 3, 2017 - March 2, 2018 - HPV 2017-International Papillomavirus Conference & Clinical and Public Health Workshops , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R13CA217558
  • September 21, 2011 - August 31, 2015 - HPV-related neoplasia among HIV-seropositive Indian men who have sex with men , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA167653
  • September 19, 2011 - August 31, 2015 - Incidence of HIV among Indian men who have sex with men , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21CA167652
  • September 24, 2010 - August 31, 2014 - E6 Oncoprotein Based Rapid Test for Anal Neoplasia , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R43CA153808
  • September 30, 2009 - August 31, 2012 - Determinants of Participation in an Anal Cancer Prevention Trial , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: RC1CA145117
  • September 20, 2005 - August 31, 2010 - UCSF Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program (RMI) , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: T32RR023259
  • August 8, 2005 - December 31, 2009 - The Oral Mucosa in HIV Disease: Innate Immunity , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P01DE016839
  • December 1, 1974 - March 31, 2009 - General Clinical Research Center , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079
  • June 1, 2001 - May 31, 2008 - ADHESION AND PROLIFERATION IN ORAL CANCER PROGRESSION , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P01DE013904
  • May 22, 2001 - April 30, 2008 - Anal HPV Infection and ASIL in HIV+ and HIV- Women , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA088739
  • April 1, 1987 - April 30, 2007 - ORAL MANIFESTATIONS OF AIDS , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P01DE007946
  • September 25, 1991 - July 31, 2004 - NATURAL HISTORY OF ANAL NEOPLASIA IN HIV INFECTED MEN , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA054053
  • January 1, 1900 - January 31, 2004 - MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF INVASION IN ORAL CANCER , Co-Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: P50DE011912
  • September 30, 1994 - September 29, 1999 - ORAL HPV INFECTION IN HIV-POSITIVE MEN AND WOMEN , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01DE011370
  • April 15, 1995 - March 31, 1999 - ANAL NEOPLASIA IN HIV POSITIVE AND HIV NEGATIVE WOMEN , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA063933
  • September 30, 1993 - September 29, 1995 - ANAL NEOPLASIA CHEMOPREVENTION IN HIV POSITIVE PERSONS , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R03CA062690

Education

McGill University, Montreal, Canada, M.D.,C.M., 1980, Medicine
Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada, F.R.C.P(C), 1984, Internal Medicine
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, D.A.B.I.M. (Infec Dis), 1989, Medical Microbiology/Infectious Disease

Honors & Awards

  • 1976
    University Scholarship McGill University
  • 1985
    Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship Medical Research Council of Canada
  • 1988
    American Social Health Association Fellowship American Social Health Association
  • 2003
    Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • 2005
    Award for excellence in small group instruction, UCSF
  • 2006, 2012
    Award of Merit American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
  • 2008
    Award for excellence in small group instruction, UCSF
  • 2011
    Fieldhouse-Myers Oration Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
  • 2012
    Top Doctor (US News and World Report) (Infectious Diseases)
  • 2013
    America's Top Doctor, Castle and Connelly
  • 2013
    Super Doctor, San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine
  • 2014
    Elected Member American Association of Physicians

Selected Publications

  1. Strickler HD, Usyk M, Eltoum IE, Bachman N, Hessol NA, Flowers L, Rahangdale L, Atrio JM, Ramirez C, Minkoff H, Adimora AA, Ofotokun I, Keller MJ, Fischl M, Shrestha S, Wright R, D'Souza G, Sanchez-Keeland L, Xie X, Xue X, Anastos K, Massad LS, Palefsky JM, Burk RD. Case-Control Study of Cervicovaginal β/γ-Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Its Relation to Incident Cervical Precancer. J Infect Dis. 2025 Mar 17; 231(3):595-599.  View on PubMed
  2. Stier EA, Clarke MA, Deshmukh AA, Wentzensen N, Liu Y, Poynten IM, Cavallari EN, Fink V, Barroso LF, Cuming T, Goldstone SE, Hillman RJ, Rosa-Cunha I, Rosa LLA, Palefsky JM, Plotzker R, Roberts JM, Jay N. Reply to comments on: "International Anal Neoplasia Society's consensus guidelines for anal cancer screening". Int J Cancer. 2025 Jun 15; 156(12):2455-2457.  View on PubMed
  3. Atkinson TM, Mazumdar M, Van Hyfte G, Lee JY, Li Y, Lynch KA, Webb A, Holland SM, Lubetkin EI, Goldstone S, Einstein MH, Stier EA, Wiley DJ, Mitsuyasu R, Rosa-Cunha I, Aboulafia DM, Dhanireddy S, Schouten JT, Levine R, Gardner EM, Dunlevy H, Barroso LF, Bucher G, Korman J, Stearn B, Wilkin TJ, Ellsworth G, Pugliese JC, Cella D, Berry-Lawhorn JM, Palefsky JM. Health-Related Quality of Life for Persons Treated or Monitored for Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (AMC-A01). JCO Oncol Pract. 2025 Mar 06; OP2400830.  View on PubMed
  4. Murenzi G, Kubwimana G, Rubagumya F, Mugenzi P, Buteera A, Rudakemwa E, Ross J, Hebert T, Adedimeji A, Nsanzimana S, Yotebieng M, Palefsky J, Mutesa L, Castle PE, Anastos K. Building health research capacity in Africa: the Einstein-Rwanda research and capacity building program. BMC Glob Public Health. 2025 Feb 19; 3(1):16.  View on PubMed
  5. Giuliano AR, Palefsky JM, Goldstone SE, Bornstein J, De Coster I, Guevara AM, Mogensen O, Schilling A, Van Damme P, Vandermeulen C, Ellison MC, Thomas Group, Kaplan S, Lin J, Bonawitz R, Luxembourg A. Immunogenicity of the 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine: Post hoc analysis from five phase 3 studies. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2025 Dec; 21(1):2425146.  View on PubMed
  6. Palefsky JM. Prevention of Anal Cancer in High-Risk Individuals. JAMA. 2024 Nov 19; 332(19):1663-1664.  View on PubMed
  7. Murenzi G, Kim HY, Mivumbi JP, Gasana J, Munyaneza A, Tuyisenge P, Kanyabwisha F, Zawadi T, Muhoza B, Kubwimana G, Adedimeji A, Yotebieng M, Mutesa L, Shi Q, Anastos K, Palefsky JM. Incidence, Clearance, and Persistence of Penile High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Among Rwandan Men Who Have Sex With Men. J Infect Dis. 2024 Oct 16; 230(4):e964-e970.  View on PubMed
  8. Hernandez AL, Lingas EO, Juarez W, Villa A, Palefsky J. Using an anti-racist research framework to design studies of oral human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer in San Francisco: rationale and protocol for the Health Equity and Oral Health in People living with HIV (HEOHP) qualitative study. BMJ Open. 2024 09 24; 14(9):e091474.  View on PubMed
  9. Hernandez AL, Hilton JF, Weatherly CS, Berry-Lawhorn JM, Jay N, Brickman C, Wang CJ, Kauffman J, Calderon J, Farhat S, Da Costa M, Akha AS, Darragh T, Palefsky JM. Prevalence of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection and Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men 50 Years and Older Living With or Without HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2024 08 15; 96(5):439-446.  View on PubMed
  10. Brickman CE, Agnello M, Imam N, Camejo P, Pino R, Carroll LN, Chein A, Palefsky JM. Distinct anal microbiome is correlated with anal cancer precursors in MSM with HIV. AIDS. 2024 Aug 01; 38(10):1476-1484.  View on PubMed
  11. Zhitkevich A, Bayurova E, Avdoshina D, Zakirova N, Frolova G, Chowdhury S, Ivanov A, Gordeychuk I, Palefsky JM, Isaguliants M. Correction: Zhitkevich et al. HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Expression in HPV16-Infected Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells Alters E6 Expression and Cellular Metabolism, and Induces a Hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal Cell Phenotype. Viruses 2024, 16, 193. Viruses. 2024 Apr 11; 16(4).  View on PubMed
  12. Stier EA, Jain M, Joshi H, Darragh TM, Deshmukh AA, Lee J, Einstein MH, Jay N, Berry-Lawhorn JM, Palefsky JM, Wilkin T, Ellsworth G, French AL, Barroso LF, Levine R, Guiot HM, Rezaei MK, Chiao E. Two-Year Incidence and Cumulative Risk and Predictors of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (Anal Precancer) Among Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Clin Infect Dis. 2024 03 20; 78(3):681-689.  View on PubMed
  13. Giuliano AR, Palefsky JM, Goldstone SE, Dubin B, Saah A, Luxembourg A, Velicer C, Tota JE. High Risk of New HPV Infection Acquisition Among Unvaccinated Young Men. J Infect Dis. 2024 Mar 14; 229(3):707-718.  View on PubMed
  14. Stier EA, Clarke MA, Deshmukh AA, Wentzensen N, Liu Y, Poynten IM, Cavallari EN, Fink V, Barroso LF, Clifford GM, Cuming T, Goldstone SE, Hillman RJ, Rosa-Cunha I, La Rosa L, Palefsky JM, Plotzker R, Roberts JM, Jay N. International Anal Neoplasia Society's consensus guidelines for anal cancer screening. Int J Cancer. 2024 May 15; 154(10):1694-1702.  View on PubMed
  15. Zhitkevich A, Bayurova E, Avdoshina D, Zakirova N, Frolova G, Chowdhury S, Ivanov A, Gordeychuk I, Palefsky JM, Isaguliants M. HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Expression in HPV16-Infected Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells Alters E6 Expression and Cellular Metabolism, and Induces a Hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal Cell Phenotype. Viruses. 2024 01 26; 16(2).  View on PubMed
  16. Haas CB, Engels EA, Palefsky JM, Clarke MA, Kreimer AR, Luo Q, Pfeiffer RM, Qiao B, Pawlish KS, Monterosso A, Shiels MS. Severe anal intraepithelial neoplasia trends and subsequent invasive anal cancer in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 01 10; 116(1):97-104.  View on PubMed
  17. Janczewski LM, Browner A, Cotler J, Nelson H, Ballman KV, LeBlanc M, Gollub MJ, Eng C, Brierley JD, Palefsky JM, Goldberg RM, Goodman KA, Washington MK, Asare EA, Palis B. Data-driven optimization of version 9 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for anal cancer. Cancer. 2024 May 01; 130(9):1702-1710.  View on PubMed
  18. Haas CB, Engels EA, Horner MJ, Pfeiffer RM, Luo Q, Kreimer AR, Palefsky JM, Shiels MS. Cumulative incidence of anal cancer since HIV or AIDS diagnosis in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 Oct 09; 115(10):1227-1230.  View on PubMed
  19. Inturrisi F, de Sanjosé S, Desai KT, Dagnall C, Egemen D, Befano B, Rodriguez AC, Jeronimo JA, Zuna RE, Hoffman A, Farhat Nozzari S, Walker JL, Perkins RB, Wentzensen N, Palefsky JM, Schiffman M. A rapid HPV typing assay to support global cervical cancer screening and risk-based management: A cross-sectional study. Int J Cancer. 2024 Jan 15; 154(2):241-250.  View on PubMed
  20. Engels EA, Shiels MS, Barnabas RV, Bohlius J, Brennan P, Castilho J, Chanock SJ, Clarke MA, Coghill AE, Combes JD, Dryden-Peterson S, D'Souza G, Gopal S, Jaquet A, Lurain K, Makinson A, Martin J, Muchengeti M, Newton R, Okuku F, Orem J, Palefsky JM, Ramaswami R, Robbins HA, Sigel K, Silver S, Suneja G, Yarchoan R, Clifford GM. State of the science and future directions for research on HIV and cancer: Summary of a joint workshop sponsored by IARC and NCI. Int J Cancer. 2024 Feb 15; 154(4):596-606.  View on PubMed

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