
Collaboration
Lab members working together to conduct research

Lab Leadership
Dr. Mitchell Frederick and lab members.
The following are our key focus areas of research:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Head and Neck Cancer
Cancers of the throat (known as the “oropharynx”) caused by HPV have sharply increased over the past decade, and HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are projected to exceed cervical cancers in the United States by the year 2020. We study the unique immunobiology of HPV-related cancer in mouse models and human clinical trials in order to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this rapidly increasing cancer.
Mechanisms of Cancer-Mediated Immune Suppression
The focus of this research is understanding interactions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy with the immune system. Radiation has both immunosuppressive and immune stimulating effects. We have developed strategies for modeling the tumor immune microenvironment in order to unleash the beneficial immune stimulating effects of radiation-based therapies.
Head and Neck Cancer Research Lab
Contact: Research Administration Associate, Mariana Villanueva, M.S.
Phone: (713) 798-4529
Email: mariana.villanueva@bcm.edu
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are conducted to test whether a new drug, prevention strategy, or screening test is safe and effective in people.