Rebecca G. Nowak, PhD, MPH

Bowdoin College, BA, Biology, 1994

Columbia University, MPH, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 2004 

Johns Hopkins University, PhD, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, 2010

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2013

Dr. Nowak is an infectious infectious disease epidemiologist whose research focuses on the intersection of HIV, human papillomavirus (HPV), and cancer prevention in Africa. Her work has helped define the burden, natural history, and immunologic dynamics of high-risk HPV among individuals affected by HIV, particularly in Nigeria. Dr. Nowak led the first anal cancer screening feasibility study in Africa using high-resolution anoscopy, generating foundational evidence on HPV-associated cancer risk, screening acceptability, the the structural challenges that influence the sustainability of cancer prevention programs in settings with limited healthcare access.

Her research integrates epidemiology, implementation science, and mucosal immunology to advance strategies that reduce cancer risk among people living with or vulnerable to HIV. Dr. Nowak studies key biological and microbial factors associated with persistent high-risk HPV infection, the impact of HIV-related immunosuppression on HPV reactivation, and social and structural determinants that shape engagement in HIV and cancer prevention services. She leads studies that adapt anal cancer prevention for an HIV clinic and investigate the natural history of HPV from other anatomic sites to inform cancer prevention. Across her portfolio, Dr. Nowak's works supports the development of sustainable, evidence-based approaches to improve long-term health outcomes for populations disproportionately affected by HIV. 

HIV, high-risk human papillomavirus, molecular epidemiology, implementation of anal cancer prevention

Nowak RG, Gravitt PE, Morrison CS, Gange SJ, Kwok C, Oliver AE, Howard R, Van Der Pol B, Salata RA, Padian NS, Chipato T, Munjoma M, Celentano DD. Increases in human papillomavirus (HPV) detection during early HIV infection among women in Zimbabwe. J Infect Dis. 2011;203:1182-1191.

Nowak RG, Bentzen SM, Ravel J, Crowell TA, Dauda W, Ma B, Liu H, Blattner WA, Baral SD, Charurat ME, on behalf of the TRUST/RV3678 Study Group. Rectal microbiota among HIV-uninfected, untreated HIV, and treated HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) in Nigeria. AIDS 2017 Mar 27; 31(6):857-862.

Nowak RG, Ndembi N, Dauda W, Jibrin P, Bentzen SM, Nnaji CH, Olaomi O, Darragh TM, Jonathan M, Crowell TA, Baral SD, Blattner WA, Charurat ME, Palefsky JM, Cullen KJ, on behalf of the TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Implementation of and early outcomes from anal cancer screening at a community-engaged health care facility providing care to Nigerian men who have sex with men. Journal of Global Oncology 2019 Jul; 5:1-11.

Nampota-Nkomba N, Mohanty K, Adebiyi R, Ekeh C, Schumaker LM, Suleiman KT, Powell L, Lombardi K, Ambulos NP, Shoyemi E, Tiamiyu AG, Homan MG, Sajadi MM, Bentzen SM, Cullen KJ, Crowell TA^£, Nowak RG^£, for the TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Penile human papillomavirus prevalence in circumcised sexual minority men living with and without HIV. AIDS. 2025 Aug 1;39(10):1431-1440.

Volpi CR, Chama J, Mansfield ME, Adebiyi R, Mitchell A, Aigoro JA, Bawa YJ, Kolawole KE, Ononaku U, Jibrin P, Olaomi O, Agbo F, Bentzen SM, Goldstone SE, Dakum P, Palefsky JM, Knott C, Adebajo S^£, Nowak RG^£. From Training to Sustainability: Enhancing Anal Cancer Prevention Efforts in Abuja, Nigeria. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Jul 2;5(7):e0004616.

Mansfield ME*, Volpi CR*, Chama J, Adebiyi R, Mitchell A, Aigoro JA, Bawa YJ, Kolawole KE, Ononaku U, Jibrin P, Olaomi O, Agbo F, Aka A, Bentzen SM, Goldstone SE, Dakum P, Palefsky JM, Knott C, Adebajo S^£, Nowak RG^£. Facilitators and barriers on learning and implementing high-resolution anoscopy in Abuja, Nigeria: a qualitative study. BMC Cancer. 2025. 25(1):1766