Michelle Adair Ozbun (born February 16, 1965) is an American molecular virologist who is the Maralyn S. Budke Endowed Professor in Viral Oncology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Her research considers cancer biology and how human papillomavirus infections cause pathology including their contributions to cancers.

Michelle Adair Ozbun
Born1965 (age 58–59)
Alma materBaylor College of Medicine
Colorado State University
Colorado Mesa University
Spouse(s)Amy S. Gardiner, PhD
ChildrenRidge, Xander
Scientific career
Institutions
ThesisP53 mutations and mammary preneoplasia in the mouse (1994)

Early life and education

edit

Ozbun received an associate of science degree at Mesa College[1] (now Colorado Mesa University), where she was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2009.[2] She was an undergraduate student in microbiology and chemistry at Colorado State University. She completed her PhD in molecular virology under the supervision of Janet S. Butel at the Baylor College of Medicine. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Craig Meyers.[citation needed]

Research and career

edit

In 1998, Ozbun was appointed to the faculty at the University of New Mexico, where she holds an endowed chair in viral oncology.[3] Her research considers papillomaviruses, which are etiologic agents of tumors of the skin. These tumors can be benign (e.g. genital warts, plantar warts) and malignant (e.g. anogenital cancers and cervical carcinomas). Her research looks to understand the replicative cycles of papillomaviruses and their differentiation-dependent replicative cycles through the use of organotypic cell culture. Disruptions to these replicative cycles can result in malignancies. She studies the relationships between human papillomavirus infection and cancer, studying the molecular mechanisms that underpin viral infection, the stages of infection that permit or deny how viral persistence is established.[4]

Ozbun developed a strategy to measure how many infectious human papillomavirus particles are left on a surface following disinfection.[5][6]

Selected publications

edit

Honors & Awards

edit
  • Elected as a Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology [7]

Personal life

edit

Ozbun is lesbian. She is a member of 500 Queer Scientists.[8]

References

edit
  1. ^ Michelle Adair Ozbun. OCLC 4779829457.
  2. ^ "Colorado Mesa University Distinguished Alumni".
  3. ^ "Ozbun, Michelle Adair". IPVS. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  4. ^ "Michelle A. Ozbun". hsc.unm.edu. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "A Measure of Cleanliness". hsc.unm.edu. February 8, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  6. ^ Ozbun, Michelle A.; Bondu, Virginie; Patterson, Nicole A.; Sterk, Rosa T.; Waxman, Alan G.; Bennett, Erica C.; McKee, Rohini; Sharma, Ankur; Yarwood, Jeremy; Rogers, Marc; Eichenbaum, Gary (January 1, 2021). "Infectious titres of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in patient lesions, methodological considerations in evaluating HPV infectivity and implications for the efficacy of high-level disinfectants". eBioMedicine. 63: 103165. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103165. ISSN 2352-3964. PMC 7808919. PMID 33422988.
  7. ^ "65 Fellows Elected into the American Academy of Microbiology". Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  8. ^ "Michelle A. Ozbun". 500 Queer Scientists. Retrieved August 11, 2022.