PhD
November 24, 2020
Escherichia coli O157:H7 Phylogenetics: Implications for Virulence and Disease Distribution
This dissertation uses phylogenetic classifications to investigate heterogeneity in the epidemiology of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, one of the top causes of foodborne illness and hospitalization. Isolates of a given phylogenetic lineage may express similar traits. Understanding differences between lineages may increase our understanding of STEC O157:H7 incidence and its progression to hemolytic…
Overcoming Barriers to HIV/STD Partner Services in Kenya and the United States
Increasing the proportion of people living with HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) who know their status is critical to curbing the HIV and STD epidemics. Partner services (PS) are a core public health strategy that test and treat or link to care the partners of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV or an STD (“index…
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Chronic Inflammation and Colorectal Cancer Risk
Substantial experimental and epidemiological evidence shows that long-term use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are protective against colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying chemopreventive mechanisms of NSAIDs are not fully understood, and whether there are specific subgroups of the population for whom the benefits of NSAIDs clearly outweigh the risk remains unknown….
November 23, 2020
Severe Infection and Mortality in Kenyan Newborns
This dissertation addresses severe neonatal infection and neonatal mortality in high-burden settings. Worldwide, almost half of all deaths in children under 5 years of age occur in the neonatal period (days 0-27 of life). Complications of prematurity, intrapartum events and severe infections cause the majority of these deaths, despite known effective interventions. The risk of…
Pre-Diagnostic Genome-Wide DNA Methylation in Blood and Risk of Bladder Cancer
BACKGROUND Differential DNA methylation as measured in blood is a promising marker of bladder cancer susceptibility. In fact, established bladder cancer risk factors such as smoking and various germline genetic variants may promote carcinogenesis in bladder tissue through processes that are detectable as differential DNA methylation in blood. METHODS Genome-wide methylation was measured in pre-diagnostic…
November 19, 2020
Air Pollution, Change in Retinal Vascular Caliber, and Cellular Adhesion in the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)
Research strongly suggests an association between acute air pollution exposure and cardiovascular events, and there is growing evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution may be associated with cardiovascular disease development. Further research on possible biologic pathways relating air pollution and cardiovascular pathology is needed to support a causal relationship and provide evidence for stricter…
November 18, 2020
Genetic Variations and Risk of Placental Abruption
BACKGROUND Placental abruption (PA) is a premature separation of an implanted placenta due to the rupture of the maternal vessels in the decidua basalis prior to delivery of the fetus. PA complicates approximately 1 in 100 pregnancies leading to significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The etiology of PA is not fully known….
Informing Strategies for Effective HIV Treatment and Prevention
HIV continues to challenge individual and public health throughout the world. Ensuring HIV-infected and high-risk individuals are aware of their infection status, engage in care, and receive effective treatment and prevention tools as early as possible is key to improving health outcomes, disrupting transmission, and reducing the burden of disease globally. To best combat the…
Policing and population health: The relationship between militarization and lethal use of force
At present, the United States has no reliable and accessible federal surveillance system for lethal use of force by law enforcement. National dialogue on use of force has highlighted police militarization as a particularly concerning and potentially related trend but poor data limit the ability of researchers and practitioners to study this relationship. This dissertation…
Effects of individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status on outcomes following a colorectal cancer diagnosis
Evidence indicates inequalities in socioeconomic status (SES), especially those that result in differential access to early detection as well as to high-quality medical and supportive care, as the primary drivers of persistent disparities in outcomes following colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Yet research is limited on the independent and joint effects of individual SES (iSES) characteristics…
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