Unveiling HPV’s Secrets: A Path to Better Prevention and Global Access
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can lead to serious health issues, including cancers like cervical cancer, and it causes over 250,000 deaths each year worldwide. The HPV vaccine has saved many lives, but unfortunately, it doesn’t reach everyone who needs it. In many low-income areas, the cost of the vaccine and limited access to healthcare make it difficult for people to get vaccinated. And while the vaccine can prevent HPV, there’s no cure for someone who already has an infection, which, in some cases, lead to cancer. This drives my research. I’m working to make the HPV vaccine more effective and more affordable so that everyone can have access to it.
At the Sam Campos lab, I’m learning firsthand about viral trafficking, which is the process of how HPV moves within human cells. For me, this research is both challenging and exciting. HPV doesn’t just enter a cell and stay there—it goes on a journey, hiding from the cell’s defenses and moving toward the cell’s nucleus, where it can change the cell’s DNA. Once it reaches the nucleus, HPV can begin making proteins that disturb the cell’s normal functions, which can eventually lead to cancer. By studying this journey, we hope to find ways to stop HPV before it gets that far.
One of the most interesting parts of my research involves a protein called gamma secretase. This protein plays a role in several diseases, like Alzheimer’s, but we’re still learning about what it does in our cells. My work is focused on figuring out how HPV uses gamma secretase to help it move within the cell. If we can understand this interaction, we might be able to create vaccines that are better at stopping HPV from entering cells in the first place. Plus, finding ways to target HPV more effectively could mean producing the vaccine at a lower cost, making it more affordable for communities with limited access to healthcare.
This research is meaningful to me because I strongly believe that healthcare, including vaccines, should be available to everyone, regardless of their income or where they live. Making vaccines more affordable can bridge healthcare gaps, ensuring that people everywhere have a better chance of staying healthy. My goal isn’t just to protect people from HPV but to work toward a world where lifesaving vaccines are accessible to all. As I learn more in the lab, I feel motivated to help solve these issues so that everyone can benefit from the latest advances in healthcare.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the possibilities this research unveils. By uncovering the details of how HPV interacts with our cells, we’re laying the groundwork for a new generation of vaccines that could stop the virus more effectively and reach more people. This work has the potential to improve the health of millions, especially in communities that face barriers to healthcare access. For me, it’s inspiring to think that the discoveries we make in the lab could someday lead to real-world solutions, closing gaps in healthcare and giving everyone a better chance to live free from preventable diseases like HPV. Ultimately, this research doesn’t just aim to protect people from HPV but seeks to bridge the gap in healthcare access, ensuring that life-saving vaccines are a right, not a privilege