Michelle Ozbun, PhD, has been appointed Associate Director for Basic Research of The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC), effective immediately.
I am pleased to announce that Michelle Ozbun, PhD, has been appointed Associate Director for Basic Research of The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC), effective immediately.
Dr. Ozbun is a Distinguished Professor and the Maralyn S. Budke Endowed Professor in Viral Oncology in the UNM Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology with a secondary appointment in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Professor Ozbun is an internationally recognized leader in basic and translational research on human papillomaviruses (HPVs), which cause nearly 5% of the worldwide cancer burden. She served two terms as Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS), the global authority on papillomaviruses and their diseases. She continues serving as chair of the IPVS Constitution Committee and as member of the IPVS Finance Committee and the IPVS Nomination Committee. She is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. At UNM, she currently co-leads the Cellular and Molecular Oncology Research Program for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Ozbun’s pioneering research focuses on HPV biology, replication, and transformation using advanced 3D organotypic “raft” cultures to propagate the virus—an ability few scientists possess. Her research has been continuously NIH-funded since 2000 and she has obtained significant research funding from foundations and industry. Her landmark discovery identified the MEK signaling pathway, as a crucial regulator of HPV oncogene expression, revealing how carcinogens like tobacco smoke and estrogen promote HPV-driven cancers and reshaping understanding of HPV pathogenesis. Importantly, this work opened a novel translational pathway to NIH and V Foundation supported preclinical work developing topical MEK inhibitors for HPV lesion treatment and cancer interception. Dr. Ozbun holds three US Patents with one patent pending.
Beyond research excellence, Prof. Ozbun has built lasting mentorship and training infrastructure at UNM, advancing junior faculty success and inclusive scientific training. She directs the NIH-funded T32 training program for predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in the Biology of Infectious Disease and the American Cancer Society’s Institutional Research Grant that provides pilot funding to early-career faculty in cancer research at UNM.
Dr. Ozbun brings exceptional scientific expertise and demonstrated leadership to the role of Associate Director for Basic Research. I am grateful for her continued commitment to the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center and to the people of New Mexico.
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Tomkinson for his steady leadership as Associate Director of Basic Research from 2012 to 2026. He also served as Interim Center Director before I arrived at UNM and thereafter as Deputy Director. During his tenure in these roles, the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center recruited more than 18 faculty members and successfully renewed our NCI designation twice. Dr. Tomkinson’s lab has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for more than 30 years and has produced more than 100 publications. We are grateful for Dr. Tomkinson’s representation on the UNM HSC Research Strategic Planning Committee and for his ongoing involvement in the strategic planning activities of the UNM Health System.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Ozbun on her new role.
Yolanda Sanchez, PhD
Director & CEO, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Maurice and Marguerite Liberman Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research
Professor, UNM Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine