Dr. Koutsky's research concerns the acquisition and natural history of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and the prevention of HPV-related genital tract neoplasms. Studies to date have demonstrated that genital HPV infections are commonly acquired within a year of first intercourse, that most women remain asymptomatic, mount an effective immune response within 12 months, and about the same time, clear molecular evidence of infection. Unfortunately, infection with one HPV type does not appear to provide protection from infection by another. Recent results from our randomized, double-blind, proof-of-principle study showed that vaccination of young women with an HPV-16 L1 virus-like-particle was over 90% effective in preventing HPV16 infection and HPV16-related cervical intraepithelial lesions. Ongoing projects are designed to (1) determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of multivalent prophylactic HPV vaccines, (2) identify risk factors for the transmission of HPV and development of persistent infection, (3) define the immunologic responses to initial and persisting genital HPV infections, (4) assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning HPV, and (5) evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new technologies for cervical cancer prevention. 

Winer RL, Lee SK, Hughes JP, Adam DE, Kiviat NB, Koutsky LA. Genital human papillomavirus infection: incidence and risk factors in a cohort of female university students. Am J Epidemiol 157:218-26, 2003.

Kulasingam SL, Hughes JP, Kiviat NB, Mao C, Weiss NS, Kuypers JM, Koutsky LA. Evaluation of human papillomavirus testing in primary screening for cervical abnormalities. JAMA 288:1749-57, 2002.

Hughes JP, Garnett GP, Koutsky LA. The theoretical population-level impact of a prophylactic human papilloma virus vaccine. Epidemiol 13:631-9, 2002.

Koutsky LA, Ault KA, Wheeler CM, Brown DR, Barr E, Alvarez FB, Lupinacci LC, Jansen KU. Randomized clinical trial of human papillomavirus type 16 vaccine. N Engl J Med 347:1645-51, 2002.