Pioneer in HPV research and cancer prevention to give Withers Lecture

Dr. Diane Harper poses for a professional headshot in a blue shirt in front of a blue background
Diane M. Harper, MD, MPH, MS

One of the top physician-scientists in cervical cancer prevention in the U.S., Diane M. Harper, MD, MPH, MS, will present the 2026 Henry W. Withers Lecture in Family Medicine on July 8.

Harper, a professor of family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, bioengineering, and women’s and gender studies at the University of Michigan, will present her lecture “U.S. Status on Cervical Cancer Screening,” from 1-2 p.m. in MSB 2.135 and on Zoom (external link).

Harper has been internationally recognized for advancing the prevention of cervical cancer and other cancers caused by human papillomavirus. A leader in translational research, she has built a multidisciplinary career that bridges engineering, clinical medicine, and public health, reflected in multiple faculty appointments.

Her research has helped shape widely adopted clinical practice guidelines and improve cervical cancer screening practices in the United States and globally. Most recently, she led the first U.S.-based studies demonstrating equivalence between primary HPV self-sampling and speculum-based cervical cancer screening, contributing to updates in national screening guidelines.

She also served on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and has mentored more than 200 residents and faculty members throughout her career. She was the first family physician inducted into both the Association of American Physicians and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of research that has transformed women’s health.