I am a junior investigator in the field of infectious disease epidemiology, and also a practicing general internist.  My interdisciplinary research lies at the nexus of infectious disease modeling, health economics, operational and implementation science, and classical epidemiology.  My primary interests are:

(1) Modeling of TB and TB/HIV: My greatest research passion is evaluating the implementation and scale-up of TB and HIV control interventions, especially diagnostic and case-finding strategies.  I combine methods from traditional epidemiology, cost-effectiveness analysis, and epidemic modeling with the aim of answering questions of relevance to patients and policy-makers.  I serve on the steering committee of the Gates Foundation-funded TB-Modeling and Analysis Consortium (TB-MAC) and direct two NIH-funded projects related to modeling the scale-up of TB diagnostic tests.  I currently work with collaborators on projects based in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. 

(2) Translational epidemiology: I have great interest in creating modeling frameworks that allow decision-makers to translate epidemiological data into effective decisions.  I welcome collaboration from researchers, clinicians, or students having expertise in any field, who hope to create models to translate epidemiological data into meaningful policy, practical, or clinical decisions.

(3) Clinical epidemiology and patient-important outcomes: I am interested in evaluating outcomes of relevance to patients, including quality and duration of life.  Specifically, I work with a cohort study of ICU survivors in Baltimore to investigate long-term outcomes, including strength and quality of life, after critical illness.  I feel strongly about creating closer ties between the worlds of clinical practice and epidemiology.

(4) Teaching and mentorship:  These are essential, and often-undervalued, skills in the field of epidemiology.  If our profession is to continue its record of success, I firmly believe that we need to train future leaders how to teach and mentor others, and also to do our best to serve as role models in that regard.

1. C-reactive protein (CRP), interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS ) are associated with risk of tuberculosis after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings.; PLoS One
2. Costs and Consequences of Using Interferon-γ Release Assays for the Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis ; PubMed - NCBI
3. Reducing relapse in tuberculosis treatment: is it time to reassess WHO treatment guidelines? ; The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 19, Number 6, 1 June 2015, pp. 624-624(1)
4. Performance of a Novel Algorithm Using Automated Digital Microscopy for Diagnosing Tuberculosis. ; Am J Respir Crit Care Med, ATS Journals
5. Post-2015 tuberculosis strategies in a pre-2015 world. ; The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 17, Number 2, 1 February 2013, pp. 143-143(1)
6. The epidemiological advantage of preferential targeting of tuberculosis control at the poor. ; The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 19, Number 4, 1 April 2015, pp. 375-380(6)

• A Blueprint for Success: Understanding the epidemic of TB in New York City
• A randomized trial of preventive therapy for pediatric MDR TB contacts
• A smoking cessation trial in HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa
• A randomized trial of preventive therapy for adult MDR TB contacts
• Assessing the social value of novel regimens for MDR TB
• Comparative implementation and cost-effectiveness of active TB case finding in rural South Africa
• Evaluating an automated system for fluorescence microscopy with digital signature mapping
• FlexDx-TB: A flexible, user-friendly model of TB diagnostics
• MDR TB treatment as prevention: modeling the impact of improved MDR treatment in Vietnam
• mHealth for improved TB contact investigation in Uganda
• Modeling the impact of novel TB drug regimens and drug susceptibility tests
• Modeling the impact of spatially targeted TB vaccines
• Modeling the impact of spatially targeted TB vaccines
• Modeling to improve TB decision-making in the United States
• Population-level impact of isoniazid preventive therapy in South Africa
• Scale-up and implementation of TB diagnostics including Xpert in Uganda
• TB Modeling and Analysis Consortium
• Understanding the costs and cost-effectiveness of TB treatment in Bangladesh
• Understanding the impact of combined TB and HIV diagnosis in diverse epidemics