Maura Gillison

Maura Gillison is the world's foremost authority on HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV+ OPSCC), having established the epidemiologic and molecular basis of this rapidly rising cancer subtype. She demonstrated that HPV-positive OPSCC has distinct clinical features, improved prognosis, and different biology from HPV-negative HNSCC. She has led pivotal clinical trials evaluating de-intensification of treatment for HPV+ OPSCC and immunotherapy combinations in head and neck cancer. Her research has fundamentally changed how oropharyngeal cancer is classified, staged, and treated.