Dr. John T. West

Dr. John T. West, PhD, is a distinguished cancer virologist specializing in HIV-associated malignancies and viral oncology. He serves as Professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and is a senior investigator at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. Dr. West earned his doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and completed postdoctoral training in molecular virology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. West’s research focuses on understanding how chronic viral infections contribute to cancer development and persistence. His laboratory has made major contributions to characterizing the molecular mechanisms of HIV latency and reactivation, viral-driven oncogenesis, and immune system dysfunction in HIV-infected individuals. He has published extensively on HIV reservoirs, viral gene regulation, and the role of inflammation in cancer susceptibility. His work has direct implications for developing strategies to prevent and treat virus-related malignancies.

An accomplished educator and mentor, Dr. West has trained graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty in virology and cancer biology. His research has been continuously supported by the NIH, and he collaborates widely on national and international studies in viral oncology. Through his scientific leadership and commitment to translational research, Dr. John West continues to advance the understanding of virus-associated cancers and improve therapeutic strategies for affected patients.