Graduate
October 8, 2024
Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 and mpox transmission patterns through phylodynamic inference
Emerging infectious diseases represent an urgent public health challenge. Unequal coverage of public health surveillance as well as asymptomatic spread, however, limit our ability to respond to outbreaks in a precise and timely manner. In this dissertation, I describe how genomic epidemiology can aid traditional public health investigations of emerging infectious disease dynamics. I begin…
Sexual Stigma, Depressive Symptoms, and HIV Vulnerability Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya
The studies within this dissertation address sexual stigma and its associations with HIV behavioral vulnerability among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). GBMSM experience stigma and discrimination due to their sexual minority status. This work: 1) establishes the magnitude of reported depressive symptoms and alcohol use among GBMSM at three…
Aromatase inhibitor use, co-morbidities, and cardiovascular disease risk in breast cancer survivors
Breast cancer survivors are a growing population with significant comorbidity burden. Approximately 80 percent of breast cancer cases are hormone receptor-positive and can be treated by endocrine therapy. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and tamoxifen are the two major types of endocrine therapies. Although AIs have more favorable breast cancer clinical outcomes than tamoxifen, AI-related cardiovascular disease…
Observational epidemiology for evaluating respiratory virus vaccine impact using population surveillance data
Observational studies of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) are needed to answer questions not addressed by clinical trials and inform policy decisions. In addition, data from community, rather than clinical, settings are essential as clinical surveillance largely does not capture individuals at low risk for severe disease and may not be representative of subclinical disease. Also,…
Morbidity, mortality, and gut virome ecology of Kenyan children exposed to versus not exposed to maternal HIV
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV has decreased rapidly with the expansion of optimized antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens for all individuals living with HIV, resulting in a growing population of children who are HIV-exposed but uninfected (CHEU). Historically, CHEU have experienced greater morbidity and mortality than children who are HIV-unexposed uninfected (CHUU). The etiology of these differences…
October 6, 2024
Shengruo Zhang
Shengruo Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate, particularly interested in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HPV/HIV and bacterial STIs, both in the US and globally. She supports underserved communities in accessing trusted and culturally competent care. Shengruo is an ethnic Mongolian originally from China and a first-generation college student.
October 2, 2024
Rebecca Sweem
I am pursuing an M.S. in Epidemiology, where I aim to combine my military background and passion about the intersection of science, research, and healthcare to help support Veterans affected by toxic chemical exposures. My journey began with eight rewarding years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and then with the Seattle…
October 1, 2024
Transition of Care Readiness Among Adolescents with Chronic Pain Between 2021-2022 in a Nationally Representative Sample
Chronic pain impacts 11-33% of children and will continue into adulthood for over half of them. Transition of pain management to adult care is crucial given high risk of interruption of care which is associated with subsequent poor medical, social, and vocational outcomes. Yet the transition experience for these youth is poorly characterized. We aimed…
Mobility Patterns, Activity Spaces, and Tuberculosis in Nairobi, Kenya
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading infectious causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Annually, over 3 million people develop TB but are not diagnosed and not initiated on treatment. This case-detection gap critically impedes global efforts to end the TB epidemic, as individuals with undiagnosed TB may be contributing to ongoing transmission. Active…
The Impact of the Choosing Wisely Campaign Recommendations on Supplemental Oxygen Management
Passive dissemination of information is commonly used to influence clinical practice. Our objective was to assess whether passive dissemination of the Choosing Wisely Campaign recommendations to reassess hypoxemia before renewing post-discharge supplemental oxygen impacted receipt of oxygen reassessment or oxygen appropriateness. We conducted a cohort study of all patients with inpatient COPD exacerbation at a…
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