index.qmd

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title: "Human papillomavirus simulator (HPVsim)"
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## Overview

HPVsim is a flexible agent-based model for simulation HPV transmission and progression through cervical disease to cancer. The model can be parameterized with country-specific vital dynamics, structured sexual networks, co-transmitting HPV genotypes, B- and T-cell mediated immunity, and high-resolution disease natural history. HPVsim is designed with a user-first lens: it is implemented in pure Python, has built-in tools for simulating commonly-used interventions, has been extensively tested and documented, and runs in a matter of seconds to minutes on a laptop.

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## HPVsim versions

HPVsim was first released in mid-2022 as a fully-documented open-source Python [package](https://github.com/starsimhub/hpvsim_orig), and model development continued until version 2.2, which was released in May 2025. In mid-2025, version 3.0 of HPVsim will be released, built on the [Starsim](https://starsim.org/) modeling architecture. Since this represents a significant shift, version 3.0 and above will live in a [separate repository](https://github.com/starsimhub/hpvsim). The original version of HPVsim will be frozen after version 2.2, aside from any critical bugfixes.

## Publications

The scientific [paper](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012181) describing HPVsim was published in 2024 in PLOS Computational Biology. The recommended citation is:

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  **HPVsim: An agent-based model of HPV transmission and cervical disease**  (2024). Stuart RM, Cohen JA, Kerr CC, Mathur P, NDMC India, Zimmermann M, Rao DW, Boudreau MC, Lee S, Yang L, Klein DJ. *PLOS Computational Biology*, 20(7), e1012181. <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012181>
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Academic papers that have been written using HPVsim include:

1. **The role of HPV single-dose vaccination in expanding access in GAVI-supported countries during a period of supply constraints** (2026). Stuart RM, Theopold T, Miall N, Kobayashi E, Vernam S, Taskin T, Dull PM. *Vaccine*, 75:128187. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.128187>

2. **Can pruning improve agent-based models’ calibration? An application to HPVsim** (2025). Sturman F, Swallow B, Kerr CC, Stuart RM, Panovska-Griffiths J. *Journal of Theoretical Biology*, 21;611:112130. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2025.112130>

3. **HPV DNA Screening and Vaccination Strategies in Tunisia** (2025). Lahdhiri A, Benzina B, Ennaifer E, Tounsi H, Gzara A, Rammeh-Rommani S, Laraj O, Arfaoui H, Stuart RM, Kebir, A, BenMiled S (2025). *Sci Rep*, 15(1):27916. <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13423-3>

4. **Inferring the natural history of HPV from global cancer registries: insights from a multi-country calibration** (2024). Stuart RM, Cohen JA, Abeysuriya RG, Sanz-Leon P, Kerr CC, Rao DW, Klein DJ. *Sci Rep* 14, 15875. <https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65842-3>

## Contact
If you have questions or would like to collaborate, please get in touch!

<a href="mailto:info@hpvsim.info" class="btn btn-primary" role="button">Email Us</a>