It’s a strategic move that represents a research vision based on health justice and addressing critical societal health needs coming to fruition for Tufts University School of Medicine faculty.  A planned, joint cluster hire initiative between the School of Medicine and Tufts Medicine will bring to Tufts two experts in the field of cervical cancer, with a focus on human papillomavirus (HPV).

Elizabeth A. White joined the School of Medicine’s Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology as an associate professor on Nov. 1, and physician Rebecca Perkins will join Tufts Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Mother Infant Research Institute as a professor on January 1, 2025.

“Our commitment to advancing health and science is strengthened by investing in innovative collaborations between our medical school and health system,” said Tufts University President Sunil Kumar, who has championed this effort. “Joint faculty hires in biomedical research are key to breaking down disciplinary barriers and fostering groundbreaking discoveries. By bringing together experts across fields, we not only enhance our research capabilities but also improve the quality of education and care we provide. These joint appointments will further illuminate the talent within our Tufts faculty while accelerating the pace of innovation and lead to cutting-edge medical advancements.”

This initiative is part of a broader effort to more strategically support critical research collaborations between TUSM and Tufts Medicine to enhance the work of the Tufts Research Executive Committee (REC) and that group’s vision to advance translational, transdisciplinary research with a health justice lens.  This group formalized and begin meeting regularly as one of Helen Boucher’s first priorities in her dual roles as dean of Tufts University School of Medicine and chief academic officer for Tufts Medicine. Though these hires are an important milestone, the group has been active in many other ways, such as collaborating on grant applications and joint research days. 

“Joint cluster hiring advances translational research across disciplines, with a special focus on health justice,” said Boucher. “The exceptional academic and research accomplishments of Drs. White and Perkins in the field of HPV-associated cancers will be an enormous asset to the Tufts community. They represent outstanding additions to our faculty.”

Recruiting clustered faculty members means the hiring of complementary faculty members—one in the School of Medicine and a second in the academic health system—to enrich and expand key concepts of the research vision shared by both institutions. White and Perkins as the first two of these hires.

HPVs cause approximately 1 in 20 cancers worldwide, making them one of the leading causes of cancer in females globally. Despite the availability of a prophylactic vaccine, HPV will remain a significant contributor to cancer incidence for decades to come, said Karl Munger, interim vice dean for research at the School of Medicine. Munger is also the Dorothy Todd Bishop Research Professor and chair of developmental, molecular, and chemical biology.

“As such, Dr. White’s expertise and ongoing research in HPV-associated malignancies will be critical in advancing our understanding of the virus’s role in cancer development, improving therapeutic strategies, and ultimately contributing to better prevention and treatment outcomes for HPV-related cancers,” said Munger, who has been studying the connections between viruses and cancer for more than 30 years.

White, who earned a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California San Diego, ran a federally funded research lab at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that focused on the mechanisms of HPV-host interactions and cancer. Her expertise has enabled the success of several clinical and translational research projects, and her research findings have been published in numerous high-impact journals. 

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Perkins to Tufts in our first joint cluster hire which, excitingly, focuses on a critical topic in women’s health,” said Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn, director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center. O’Tierney-Ginn is also a research associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine, and associate professor of nutrition interventions, communications, and behavior change at Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Perkins, who earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a master of science in health policy and management from Boston University School of Public Health, is a gynecologist and health services researcher. Over the past 18 years, she has published over 150 papers on HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and management of precancerous lesions with a focus on reducing health disparities. She has numerous national honors and serves on many national and international committees, including the European Commission Initiative on Cervical Cancer.