Jennifer E. Cameron, Ph.D., M.S.C.R.

Dr. Cameron's journey in biomedical research began right here at LSUHSC. For her Ph.D. project, she characterized an emerging epidemic of oral papillomas in HIV-infected adults on combination antiretroviral therapy and identified human papillomavirus (HPV)-32 as the primary etiologic agent. During her graduate training, Dr. Cameron was responsible for the seminal observation that HIV-infected women with cervical co-shedding of HPV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are at increased risk of cervical abnormalities. This project sparked her interest in gamma-herpesviruses, which, like HPV, have the propensity to cause cancer.

For the next stage of her career, Dr. Cameron pursued research to understand the pathobiology of EBV. She accepted a postdoctoral fellowship position with Dr. Fred Wang at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she developed molecular tools to query the biology of the closely related rhesus macaque lymphocryptovirus (RhLCV) in a primate primary infection model. While she was living in Boston, New Orleans was inundated with water as a result of the catastrophic levee failures following Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Cameron's fondness for New Orleans and its inimitable culture spurred her to relocate back to Louisiana to participate in the recovery of the city.

With the New Orleans region still reeling from the aftermath of Katrina, Dr. Cameron accepted a postdoctoral fellowship appointment at Tulane University in the laboratory of Dr. Erik Flemington. The Flemington lab investigated the interactions between EBV and the host cell microRNA (miRNA) network, and how these interactions might contribute to EBV-mediated lymphomas. Dr. Cameron first-authored one of the first reports demonstrating that a DNA tumor virus and its major oncoprotein alter expression of cellular miRNAs. Subsequently, Dr. Cameron’s studies focused on uncovering the role of miR-146a, a cellular miRNA highly induced by EBV via LMP1-mediated NF-kB activation, in tumor phenotypes and immunological signaling pathways. As a Fellow, Dr. Cameron was successful in obtaining extramural support in the form of a National Cancer Institute-sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Independent Postdoctoral Fellowship.

In 2012, Dr. Cameron returned to her alma mater as a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.  She was named LSUHSC's first recipient of the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LACaTS) Roadmap Scholar Award (2012-2014). As part of the Roadmap Scholar training program, Dr. Cameron earned a post-doctorate Master of Science in Clinical Research at Tulane University. Since becoming a faculty member she has taught in four different programs at LSUHSC (Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health and Graduate Studies). She continues to focus on tumor virus research and has attracted extramural research support from all three sectors of the research sponsor triad (government, philanthropy and industry). She actively participates in faculty governance and enjoys engaging with community members to improve health literacy and promote awareness of scholarly activities at LSUHSC.