Annika Antonsson

Associate Professor Annika Antonsson is a virologist with epidemiological training. Viruses can cause cancer, and Annika's research has been focused on human papillomavirus (HPV) and its role in different types of cancer. Her main research areas are oral HPV infections in different populations and HPV in throat cancer (oropharyngeal cancer), with her most recent study investigating if the current HPV vaccine is protecting against the HPV types that are causing throat cancer. Annika is involved in a longitudinal study on oral HPV infection among Indigenous South Australians and oropharyngeal cancers. More than 1,000 Indigenous people from across South Australia—including Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and the Riverland— have been recruited for this ongoing study, which started in 2019. Annika is also working on CanCo which is a First Nations-led Prospective Cancer Cohort study (https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/canco-prospective-first-nations-cancer-cohort). CanCo is looking into cancer care needs and experiences of First Nations peoples diagnosed with cancer, and their caregivers. The Oral Diversity Study: Oral HPV infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated people; The Oral Health Study: Oral HPV infection in the general population; The PAH/QIMRB Head and Neck Cancer Study: Human papillomavirus infection and risk factors in head and neck cancer patients; HPV and microRNA in oropharyngeal cancers: comparing microRNA expression in HPV positive and HPV negative oropharyngeal cancers; CHANNEL (Care of Head And Neck cancer Needs EvaLuation Study): a quality of life and supportive care needs study of patients with head and neck cancer; Indigenous Oral HPV: Longitudinal study of oral HPV infection and risk factors associated with infection in Indigenous Australians; Breast cancer microbiome: Profiling the intratumoural microbiome in breast cancer and control tissue

[2026] Prevalence and distribution of HPV types in Australian patients with oropharyngeal cancer over time. Yaksich, Lachlan, Hartel, Gunter, Panizza, Benedict J., Whiteman, David C. and Antonsson, Annika (2026). International Journal of Cancer, 159 (3), 750-756. doi: 10.1002/ijc.70432 [2026] Analysis of EGFR signaling pathway; miRNAs and inflammatory biomarkers in a high-risk oral cancer population in Pakistan - An exploratory study. Anwar, Namrah, Pervez, Shahid, Moatter, Tariq, Stark, Mitchell, Chundriger, Qurratulain, Ali, Tazeen Saeed, Awan, Sohail and Antonsson, Annika (2026). PLoS One, 21 (2) e0340264, 1-14. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0340264 [2026] Author response to commentary on oral microbiota analysis in HPV-infected individuals: considerations for future research. Maidment, T.