Research and Professional Experience

Dr. Gravitt's research interests are primarily focused on the molecular epidemiology and detection/screening for human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical cancer. She has developed and validated gold standard PCR-based methods for the detection and quantitation of human papillomaviruses.

Dr. Gravitt is currently involved in several projects in the US and abroad:

1) The Community Access to Cervical Health (CATCH) Study is an evaluation of sustainable cervical cancer screening methods in peri-urban India, in collaboration with Dr. Keerti V. Shah, SHARE India/Mediciti Institute of Medical Sciences and the Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics. Field work completed, ongoing evaluation of cost-effectiveness of screening in rural India in collaboration with Dr. Shalini Kulasingham, Univ. of Minnesota.

2) The HPV in Perimenopause (HIP) Study is being conducted in collaboration with Drs. Anne Burke and Raphael Viscidi at Johns Hopkins Hospital-affiliated clinics in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. The HIP study aims to describe the natural history of genital HPV infection through the menopausal transition.

3) In collaboration with Drs. Ron Gray and Maria Wawer (JHSPH), Dr. Gravitt’s laboratory is investigating the effect of adult male circumcision on HPV prevalence in men participating in a randomized controlled trial in Rakai, Uganda.

4) In collaboration with Dr. Anna Yemelyanova, JHU-Pathology, Dr. Gravitt is investigating new markers for cervical neoplasia, including nitric oxide and HPV oncoproteins.

5) In collaboration with Dr. Bob Gilman (JHSPH, IH), Dr. Gravitt is investigating the possible influence of soil transmitted helminth infection on HPV prevalence and persistence in Peru.

Dr. Gravitt also has active collaborations with the basic sciences, including a study of the role of nitric oxide on HPV-associated carcinogenesis with Dr. Michelle Ozbun (UNM) and a study of the immunologic effects of female sex steroid combinations on immune response to HPV VLP in collaboration with Dr. Sabra Klein (JHSPH). Dr. Gravitt’s laboratory works closely with intramural investigators at the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (Drs. Phil Castle, Sophia Wang, Mark Schiffman, Allan Hildesheim, Jill Koshiol, Sandy Dawson, and Phil Taylor), evaluating HPV type and viral load from large cervical cancer screening studies (e.g., Mississippi Delta Project, ALTS, Costa Rica Vaccine Trial) and case-control studies of cervical neoplasia (SUCCEED) and esophageal cancer.

Full profile: http://faculty.jhsph.edu/Default.cfm?faculty_id=1196