Dr. Francisco Aguayo obtained his Bachelor degree in Biochemistry at University of Chile in 1992 and received a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences with mention in Persistent and Oncogenic viruses at Faculty of Medicine, University of Kagoshima, Japan in 2007. His doctoral dissertation was about the role of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) in extragenital tumors. Currently he is Associate Professor at Department of Basic and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile and Associate Researcher at Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS). He has postdoctoral experience in Europe and U.S. working in different models of viral-induced carcinogenesis. Since the mere expression of viral oncoproteins is not a sufficient condition for carcinogenesis, his research interests are signaling pathways related to interactions between viral oncoproteins and environmental carcinogens. Now he is researching the mechanisms involved in a cooperation between human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncoproteins and tobacco smoke for human carcinogenesis using different models of epithelial and tumor cells. In addition, he is interested in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-mediated carcinogenesis including gastric cancer and specially the role of EBNA-1 oncoprotein.
