Paul Lambert leads the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research at University of Wisconsin–Madison where he has developed new anti-cancer therapies for cervical cancer and leads research to prevent and treat cancers caused by viral infections. Lambert, who also serves as chair of the Department of Oncology in the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, recently sat down for a Q&A about the importance of continued research on tumor viruses, which he says cause about 15% of all human cancers.
What is the focus of the project you’ve been leading, and why is it so important?
This grant, originally initiated over 46 years ago by Dr. Howard Temin, supports a collaborative program focused on viruses that cause human cancer. It’s one of the few such NIH Program Project grants in the U.S. dedicated to studying tumor viruses, which are responsible for approximately 15% of all human cancers worldwide. These include viruses like HPV (human papillomavirus), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis B and C and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).