Faculty

Connie Celum

Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology
Professor, Global Health
Professor, Medicine - Allergy and Infectious Dis.


Education

MD Medicine, University of California (San Francisco), 1984
MPH Epidemiology, University of Washington, 1989

Contact


Box 359927
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
University of Washington
Box 359927
Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Seattle, WA 98195

Research Areas

Research Interests

Dr. Celum's research currently focuses on HIV prevention and vaccine trials with the objective to find effective strategies to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission. She utilizes epidemiologic data on behavioral and biologic risk factors for HIV acquisition and transmission to identify potential intervention strategies and then to conduct randomized clinical trials to determine safety and efficacy of these interventions with biologic outcome measurements. Her current effort is focused on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly genital herpes, as co-factors for HIV acquisition and transmission and clinical trials of candidate HIV vaccines. First, she is investigating HSV-2 as a co-factor for HIV acquisition and transmission, through a large randomized trial of daily antivirals for HSV-2 suppression to determine whether HIV acquisition can be reduced by 50% among HIV-negative, HSV-2 seropositive women in two African sites, and among MSM in Peru and two US sites. Second, to determine the effect of genital herpes on HIV infectiousness, she is conducting a large multi-center trial of HSV-2 suppression among HIV-discordant couples in Africa and India. Third, she is studying the effect of HSV-2 on mucosal HIV shedding with a double-blind cross-over study of valacyclovir among HIV/HSV-2 co-infected men and women in Peru. Fourth, she is studying the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for HSV-1 and HSV-2 acquisition among high-risk men who have sex with men in a multi-center trial of a behavioral intervention (Project Explore). Fifth, as part of her interest in the evaluation of HIV vaccine trials, she is developing approaches to assess the effect of partially-effective HIV vaccines on viral set-point and disease progression, including a standardized approach to provision of antiretroviral therapy for breakthrough infections in phase III trials.

Dr. Celum has developed research clinical units in Seattle and Lima, Peru, to conduct epidemiologic studies and clinical trials of HIV prevention interventions and vaccines. In addition, she serves as the PI on two multi-center international clinical trials of HSV-2 suppression and HIV transmission with sites in Africa, India, and Latin America, which provide opportunities for graduate students interested in studying the epidemiology of STD and HIV infection

HIV prevention; microbicide; vaccine trials with the objective to find effective strategies to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission.

Recent Publications (PubMed)

Partner testing with HIV self-test distribution by Ugandan pregnant women living with HIV: a randomized trial.
(2023 Sep)
J Int AIDS Soc 26(9): e26156
Mujugira A, Nakyanzi A, Donnell D, Boyer J, Stein G, Bulterys M, Naddunga F, Kyomugisha J, Birungi JE, Ssendiwala P, Nsubuga R, Muwonge TR, Musinguzi J, Sharma M, Celum CL
Population health impact, cost-effectiveness, and affordability of community-based HIV treatment and monitoring in South Africa: A health economics modelling study.
(2023)
PLOS Glob Public Health 3(9): e0000610
Sahu M, Bayer CJ, Roberts DA, van Rooyen H, van Heerden A, Shahmanesh M, Asiimwe S, Sausi K, Sithole N, Ying R, Rao DW, Krows ML, Shapiro AE, Baeten JM, Celum C, Revill P, Barnabas RV
A decision support tool has similar high PrEP uptake and increases early PrEP persistence in adolescent girls and young women in South Africa: results from a randomized controlled trial.
(2023 Aug)
J Int AIDS Soc 26(8): e26154
Celum C, Seidman D, Travill D, Dehlendorf C, Gumede S, Zewdie K, Wilson W, Morton JF, Baeten JM, Donnell D, Delany-Moretlwe S
Understanding the barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy adoption and COVID-19 vaccination in refugee settlements in Uganda: a qualitative study.
(2023 Jul 20)
BMC Public Health 23(1): 1401
Klabbers RE, Muwonge TR, Ajidiru S, Borthakur S, Mujugira A, Sharma M, Vinck P, Pham P, Celum C, Parkes-Ratanshi R, O'Laughlin KN
Postexposure Doxycycline for Sexually Transmitted Infections. Reply.
(2023 Jul 20)
N Engl J Med 389(3): 286-287
Luetkemeyer AF, Cannon C, Celum C
Show complete publication list