Dr. Hwang's program of clinical translational research is focused in the areas of cervical epithelial maturation, mucosal immunity, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis. Her studies also involve the quantitative measurement of the cervical epithelial topography using colpophotography and novel imaging approaches in the clinical setting. Dr. Hwang is currently funded by the NCI/NIH to test the clinical performance of a novel coherence imaging platform for the practical screening and resolute diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. She is also funded by the Hellman Foundation to study the cervical cytokine responses to different Chlamydia trachomatis strain genotypes among young women with repeat infections. Her on-going projects include collaborations with Duke University Bioengineering and the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI).