Wheeler Z

[Rosita Westhouse]

NorthernArizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

BS awarded 12/1980 Microbiology/Chemistry

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

PhD awarded 12/1985 Virology - Immunology

US Centers for Disease Control, National Research Council

1986-1987 Molecular Epidemiology Infectious Diseases Fellow

Dr. Wheeler joined the University of New Mexico faculty in 1988. Her scientific efforts over the past 35 years exemplify her long-standing recognition of the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in the evaluation and delivery of medical innovation to the public with a focus on cancer prevention. Dr. Wheeler is the founding director of the New Mexico HPV Pap Registry (NMHPVPR), established in 2006 as the nation’s only statewide cancer screening registry. The NMHPVPR information systems traverse the continuum of cervical cancer prevention across screening, diagnosis and treatment and transcend payers, healthcare systems, clinics, providers and patients collecting woman-based information across the entire state of New Mexico. The NMHPVPR employs novel approach to standardizing and integrating disparate data sources and uses natural language parsing. Dr. Wheeler is committed to pragmatic real-world cost-saving approaches to target rapid delivery of new diagnostic indications to the public with expediency.

Peer Reviewed Publications

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I bring a broad knowledge base in molecular epidemiology, molecular diagnostic development, public health, as well training of graduate, post-graduate and junior scientists through several NIH-funded RO-1 awards and Cooperative Research Centers I have been the PI of. With a long-standing solid track record of delivering large population-based multi- disciplinary programs addressing the translational spectrum of cancer etiology, diagnosis and prevention over more than 30 years, my group has contributed to cooperative research programs spanning from T0 toT4 outlined briefly as follows: 1) characterizing both host and viral genetic risk factors of cervical cancer outcomes; 2) characterizing environmental risk factors including smoking, hormones and nutrition while considering race/ethnicity and behaviors modifying the risk of disease outcomes; 3) understanding and characterizing the world-wide population-based distribution and phylogeny of a broad spectrum of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infecting the human lower genital tract; 4) characterizing the utility of biomarkers of risk for diagnosis and triage of cervical precancer and cancer; 5) developing diagnostic assays and international HPV DNA standards for the World Health Organization to support monitoring of global HPV vaccine implementation in middle and lower income countries; 6) leading North American efforts for phase I to III clinical trials for bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines and understanding vaccine co-administration, cross protection and dosing schedules; 7) contributing to local, national and international programs and policies for cancer screening; 8) formative research to understand women’s attitudes and beliefs around primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention; 9) founding and funding a population-based electronic surveillance system, the New Mexico HPV Pap Registry (NMHPVPR) which under state mandate receives reports of all cervical Paps, cervical, vulvar and vaginal pathology and HPV testing to define screening practices and outcomes in the opportunistic cervical screening delivery across New Mexico’s including screening, diagnosis and treatment; 10) working to establish groundwork with the New Mexico Department of Health to establish a colorectal screening information system using the NMHPVPR surveillance model; and 11) assessing implementation, impact and effectiveness of HPV vaccines against HPV-related outcomes including abnormal Pap tests and pre-cancer diagnoses while continuously monitoring changing cancer screening practices. I currently the PI of an FDA-regulated evaluation using the NMHPVPR longitudinal data and research-related research specimen resources to approve a new HPV diagnostic indication. My experience as PI of various NIH cooperative centers over decades offers a long- standing recognition of the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in the evaluation and delivery of cancer prevention implementing evidence into policy and practice.

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