Dr. Bill Sugden has worked on EBV for 50 years and great contribution to the understanding of herpesvirus-associated tumors:

1. Identification of the cis- and trans-acting function of EBV's plasmid replicon and the unexpected functions of the trans-acting EBNA1 to support the long-term maintenance of viral genomes in tumor cells, providing the development of small molecule inhibitors of EBNA1 as a rational therapy for EBV-associated cancers.
2. Characterizing EBV's transforming genes for sustaining lymphomas
3. Developing sensitive methods to analyze both EBV and KSHV genomes in live cells and revealing how EBV reorganizes cellular chromatin during the lytic phase of its life cycle.
4. Developing genetic and cell-based assays to identify cellular genes that EBV targets with its miRNAs to promote the transformation of B-cells. He also established a method to transform peripheral B cells with dual infection by EBV and KSHV to model the early stages of the development of Primary Effusion Lymphomas.

Dr. Bill Sugden is elected as James A. Miller Professor of Oncology (1996) and Elected Fellow, The American Academy of Microbiology (2010). He is also a Member of Editorial Board for many Journals.