Naomi Jay came to UCSF as a Women’s Health nurse practitioner in 1991 to work in human papillomavirus (HPV) clinical research trials. The early studies provided seminal data regarding the natural history of HPV on the cervix of young women and in the anal canal of men who have sex with men (MSM).
She pioneered the use of colposcopic methodology for the anal canal and was pivotal in developing the tools now known as high resolution anoscopy for evaluating the anal canal for HPV-associated disease. Her early publications on lesion identification are among the most sited articles for practitioners learning the procedures.
For the ANCHOR study she was a principal investigator at the UCSF site and on the national Quality control committee to provide mentoring and certification of the HRA providers for the study.
She has served as director or co-director of the International Anal Neoplasia Society HRA standard and advanced courses.
Dr. Jay was a founding member of IANS, serving as a board member and president.
She is currently working in an initiative with the AIDS Malignancy Consortium of the NIH to establish HRA clinics in Latin American cities.
She continues to work with IANS and other organizations to promote anal cancer screening and prevention. She is recognized internationally for her expertise in the field and is sought after as a mentor, speaker and educator.
She is fondly known as the Tushie Queen.