James W. Rocco, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Rocco's current research activity focuses on the advancement in treatment of head and neck cancers. Specifically, he studies the relationship between infection with human papillomavirus and the incidence of tumors of the oropharynx. His laboratory found that high tumor levels of the protein Bc12 are related to resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy and lead to worse outcomes. The laboratory is now investigating whether inhibitors of Bc12 function might provide an alternative treatment for oropharyngeal tumors that fail to respond to standard therapies due to high Bc12 levels.