Brooke Nichols, PhD

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Brooke Nichols, PhD, MSc, is an infectious disease mathematical modeller and health economist specializing in transmission dynamics, implementation modeling, and optimal resource allocation for pathogens including HIV, tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2, and other pathogens of pandemic potential. Her work seeks to minimize the health and economic impact of infectious diseases through innovative quantitative approaches.

Dr. Nichols leads a multi-continental research team of quantitative scientists and modellers who integrate insights from clinical science, epidemiology, health economics, and mathematical modeling to develop actionable, evidence-based strategies. Her team advances novel quantitative methods and adapts existing frameworks to design cost-effective, scalable interventions aimed at reducing transmission, morbidity, and mortality. Their work has significantly influenced national and global health policies across critical public health domains. This includes contributing to evidence to normative guidance on HIV prevention and care (e.g., optimizing pre-exposure prophylaxis, scaling up HIV self-testing, improving viral load monitoring, and enhancing differentiated service delivery models), informing global strategies for the optimal use of diagnostics during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (spanning mitigation, treatment, and surveillance), and guiding the development of World Health Organization’s Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for innovative diagnostics.

Publications

  • Published 5/12/2025

    Chevalier JM, Grantz KH, Girdwood S, Kepha S, Ramos T, Nichols BE, Khan S, Hingel S. The impact and cost of a new rapid diagnostic test for school-based prevalence mapping and monitoring and evaluation surveys of schistosomiasis: A modelling study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 May 12; 19(5):e0013071. PMID: 40354436.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/12/2025

    Chevalier JM, Hansen MA, Blumel B, Chuchu V, Gleeson B, Ferreyra C, Khan S, Nichols BE, Grantz KH. Modeling the impact and cost of a culture-dependent molecular test for antimicrobial resistance in resource-limited settings. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 May 12. PMID: 40350685.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/30/2025

    Nichols BE, Dodge JL, Lee BP, Bhadelia N, Bor J. Medicaid cuts, mortality, and health-care expenditure in the USA. Lancet. 2025 May 17; 405(10491):1736. PMID: 40318689.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/26/2025

    Birnie E, Vergouwe M, Appelman B, Biemond JJ, Heijmans J, Nichols BE, Wiersinga WJ, Popping S. Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir for COVID-19 Among Individuals at High Risk: A Modeling Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Apr; 12(4):ofaf187. PMID: 40256045.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/1/2025

    Nichols BE, Geng EH, Moakley E, Phillips AN, Imai-Eaton JW, Stover J, Mudimu E, Grimsrud A. Rapid development of an online tracker to communicate the human impact of abruptly halting PEPFAR support. J Int AIDS Soc. 2025 Mar; 28(3):e26433. PMID: 40012206.

    Read at: PubMed

Education

  • Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, PhD
  • Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, PhD
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst, MS
  • Mount Holyoke College, BA