Objective
Cervical cancer prevention assumes that most cases are caused by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). Yet 7 to 10 percent of invasive cervical cancers are HPV-negative, making them invisible to HPV-based screening and unaffected by vaccination; these cancers are often detected late and have worse outcomes.
This project will define the biology of HPV-independent cervical cancer and enable improved detection. I will lead a Nordic collaboration to assemble, to our knowledge, the largest rigorously confirmed cohort of HPV-negative cancers with matched HPV-positive controls, link them to nationwide registries, and apply an integrated multi-omics strategy (whole-exome DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation profiling) to map genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic trajectories. Crucially, I will test the hit-and-run hypothesis by reanalyzing earlier screening samples from the same women retrieved from national biobanks. From these data, I will develop and validate clinically actionable biomarkers with a clear path to implementation, and pilot their integration into confirmatory testing and national screening audits.
The outcome will be a population-based molecular taxonomy of HPV-independent cervical cancer and a route to earlier detection for women whose cancers escape the HPV paradigm, directly supporting the World Health Organization’s cervical cancer elimination strategy and strengthening European screening practice.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.