The Central Laboratory (CL) Core provides centralized biobanking and virologic and immunologic assessment of well annotated biospecimens in support of the two PAVILION projects as well as for the pilot projects. The CL Core includes a robust yet flexible pipeline and range of analytical methodologies, which are complemented by state-of-the-science methodology and technology housed at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Moffitt Cancer Center for the virologic and immunologic assessment of banked specimens, respectively. The CL Core pairs this unique expertise with established laboratories in South Africa and Zimbabwe to efficiently advance knowledge related to tumor and patient characteristics. This knowledge will inform the development of effective prevention and cancer treatment interventions to reduce the burden of cancer for people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately impacted by HIV.
Johann Schneider, MD (Stellenbosch University) is a professor and Head of the Division of Anatomical Pathology at Stellenbosch University and the National Health Laboratory Service at Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. He is an anatomical pathologist with more than 30 years’ experience, including 10 years of leadership experience, and an established interest in dermatopathology and HIV-related malignancies. Dr. Schneider has participated in biobanking efforts since 2009 and became Director/Principal Investigator of the NCI-supported AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC) and AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Biorepository (ACSR-SSAB) at SU in 2013.
Allen Matubu, DPhil (University of Zimbabwe) is the Laboratory Director of the Clinical Trials Research Center at the University of Zimbabwe. He is a medical laboratory scientist with 19 years of clinical trials research experience and has directed the day-to-day activities of the lab relevant for viral assays, including HPV genotyping for multiple epidemiologic studies using a spectrum of testing technologies and establishing high capacity biobanking activities. He is also responsible for providing operational oversight, standard operating procedure development, and lab-wide policy implementation to ensure compliance with local regulatory, Division of AIDS, and ISO 15189 requirements at the Zimbabwe PAVILION Biobank laboratory site.
Tim Waterboer, PhD (German Cancer Research Center) is Head of the Division of Infections and Cancer Epidemiology, and Deputy Speaker of the Infection, Inflammation and Cancer Research Program at the German Cancer Research Center. He is a virologist and epidemiologist with more than 20 years of research experience in infection-associated cancers. He has developed a globally unique high-throughput detection method for the multiplexed analysis of antibodies against infectious agents and collaborates with multiple leading clinical and epidemiological research groups world-wide. His most notable contribution is the discovery and validation of antibodies to HPV early oncoproteins (e.g., E6) and their screening and early detection utility for HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer.