Anil Chaturvedi Awarded Scientific Tenure by the NIH

November 7, 2016, by DCEG Staff

In November 2016, Anil Chaturvedi, Ph.D., was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH, and promoted to senior investigator in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch (IIB). Dr. Chaturvedi studies the molecular epidemiology of cancers of the head and neck and lung to address research questions on etiology, natural history, and risk prediction.

In the arena of head and neck cancer research, Dr. Chaturvedi is evaluating how risk factors for the disease give rise to cancers within different subsites in the head and neck. His research has helped characterize the importance of HPV infection patterns as an explanation for the recent rise in oropharyngeal cancers in developed countries. More recently, he has focused on studies to characterize the patterns and determinants of progression of oral cavity precursors to cancer and approaches to decrease the burden of oral cavity cancers worldwide. He is also working collaboratively to identify an HPV-induced precursor lesion in the oropharynx, the absence of which has been a critical limitation for secondary prevention.

Dr. Chaturvedi's second research focus is on lung cancer etiology and risk prediction. In collaboration with Hormuzd A. Katki, Ph.D., senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch, he conducted a series of studies focused on risk-based lung cancer screening to improve the efficiency of screening programs. His work has also contributed substantially to the understanding of the role of chronic inflammation and lung cancer.