The Patti Gravitt Lab
Patti E. Gravitt, PhD, MS
Professor, Pathology & Community & Behavioral Health
Associate Director, Georgia Cancer Center Population Sciences
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The Gravitt Lab
Health Sciences Campus
1410 Laney Walker Blvd, CN 3311
(706) 721-8415
Research Summary
Dr. Patti E. Gravitt is an internationally recognized molecular epidemiologist and implementation scientist whose work focuses on the natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the prevention of HPV-associated cancers.
Her research has advanced understanding of HPV infection dynamics, latency, and cervical cancer screening, and has informed global guidelines and public health practice. She has led interdisciplinary efforts to translate evidence-based interventions into real-world settings, with a particular emphasis on reducing cancer disparities in low-resource and underserved populations. Dr. Gravitt has held leadership roles at the National Cancer Institute, where she contributed to advancing translational and population-level cancer control strategies. Her work integrates epidemiology, implementation science, and systems-based approaches to strengthen cancer prevention programs globally. She is also a committed mentor, supporting the development of early-career investigators across diverse disciplines and settings. She will bring this expertise to the Georgia Cancer Center as the Associate Director for Population Science to build synergies across disciplines and embed research into cancer prevention and treatment services to better serve the population of our Georgia community. She has academic appointments as Professor in the Medical College of GA, Department of Pathology and the AU School of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health.
Research Focus
Dr. Gravitt’s research is focused on:
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Systems and complexity science, whole person health, health services delivery, implementation science, molecular epidemiology
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Other Diseases of Interest: Autoimmune diseases, Chronic inflammatory diseases
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Research Methodologies: Systems thinking, implementation science, epidemiology
View Selected Publications
- Paz-Soldan VA, Nussbaum L, Brown J, Meza-Sanchez G, Gilman SD, Tracy JK, Gravitt PE. A realist evaluation of a novel cervical cancer prevention strategy in Iquitos, Peru. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Nov 19;5(11):e0004517. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004517. PMID: 41259372; PMCID: PMC12629488.
- Ryser MD, Bravo IG, Campos NG, Hammer A, Rositch AF, Gravitt PE; IPVS Working Group on Cervical HPV Latency; IPVS policy committee. IPVS Consensus Statement on The Natural History of Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection. J Infect Dis. 2026 Apr 29;233(4):735-744. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf574. PMID: 41239758.
- Lycke KD, Steben M, Garland SM, Woo YL, Cruickshank ME, Perkins RB, Bhatla N, Ryser MD, Gravitt PE, Hammer A; IPVS policy committee. An updated understanding of the natural history of cervical human papillomavirus infection-clinical implications. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 May;232(5):453-460. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2025.02.029. Epub 2025 Feb 19. PMID: 39983886.
- Gilman SD, Gravitt PE, Paz-Soldán VA; Proyecto Precancer Study Group. Implementation of new technologies designed to improve cervical cancer screening and completion of care in low-resource settings: a case study from the Proyecto Precancer. Implement Sci Commun. 2024 Apr 5;5(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s43058-024-00566-z. PMID: 38581011; PMCID: PMC10998344.
- Gravitt PE. How to turn evidence into policy in resource-limited settings. Nat Med. 2023 Sep;29(9):2166. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02349-w. PMID: 37198456.
- Rositch AF, Singh A, Lahrichi N, Paz-Soldan VA, Kohler-Smith A, Gravitt P, Gralla E. Planning for resilience in screening operations using discrete event simulation modeling: example of HPV testing in Peru. Implement Sci Commun. 2022 Jun 17;3(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s43058-022-00302-5. PMID: 35715830; PMCID: PMC9204370.
- Hammer A, Blaakaer J, de Koning MNC, Steiniche T, Mejlgaard E, Svanholm H, Roensbo MT, Fuglsang K, Doorbar J, Andersen RH, Quint WGV, Gravitt PE. Evidence of latent HPV infection in older Danish women with a previous history of cervical dysplasia. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022 Jun;101(6):608-615. doi: 10.1111/aogs.14362. Epub 2022 Apr 28. PMID: 35481603; PMCID: PMC9564550.
- Gravitt PE, Silver MI, Hussey HM, Arrossi S, Huchko M, Jeronimo J, Kapambwe S, Kumar S, Meza G, Nervi L, Paz-Soldan VA, Woo YL. Achieving equity in cervical cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): Strengthening health systems using a systems thinking approach. Prev Med. 2021 Mar;144:106322. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106322. Epub 2021 Mar 4. PMID: 33678230; PMCID: PMC12961690.
- Paul P, Hammer A, Rositch AF, Burke AE, Viscidi RP, Silver MI, Campos N, Youk AO, Gravitt PE. Rates of New Human Papillomavirus Detection and Loss of Detection in Middle-aged Women by Recent and Past Sexual Behavior. J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 23;223(8):1423-1432. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa557. PMID: 32870982; PMCID: PMC8064050.
- Gravitt PE, Rositch AF, Jurczuk M, Meza G, Carillo L, Jeronimo J, Adsul P, Nervi L, Kosek M, Tracy JK, Paz-Soldan VA; Proyecto PreCancer Study Group. Integrative Systems Praxis for Implementation Research (INSPIRE): An Implementation Methodology to Facilitate the Global Elimination of Cervical Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Sep;29(9):1710-1719. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0501. Epub 2020 Jun 19. PMID: 32561563.