Davidson H. Hamer, MD

Professor, Boston University School of Public Health

Biography

Davidson Hamer, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FASTMH, FISTM is a Professor of Global Health and Medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health and Chobanian & Avesidian School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Dr. Hamer, a board-certified specialist in infectious diseases with a particular interest in tropical infectious diseases, has extensive field experience in neonatal and child survival research including studies of micronutrient interventions, maternal and neonatal health, malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases. During the last 20+ years, he has supervised and provided technical support to numerous studies in developing countries that evaluated interventions for improving neonatal survival, integrated community case management (iCCM), improving access for pregnant women to emergency obstetrical care, treatment and prevention of malaria, HIV/AIDS, micronutrient deficiencies, diarrheal disease, and pneumonia. Dr. Hamer received a MD from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a BA in biology and French from Amherst College. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the International Society of Travel Medicine.

Dr. Hamer currently has active projects in Bangladesh, Uganda, Zambia, and the United States. Major current projects include neonatal sepsis prevention using prebiotics and probiotics in Bangladesh; an autopsy study of fungal infections in HIV-infected patients in Uganda; etiologies of sepsis in HIV-exposed and uninfected children in Zambia; and a prospective cohort study of Chagas disease among US immigrants that includes a biobank. In addition, Dr. Hamer is the Surveillance Lead for the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network, a global network of 70 sites in 31 countries that conducts surveillance of emerging infectious diseases using returning travelers, immigrants, and refugees as sentinels of infection (https://geosentinel.org).

Publications

  • Published 9/30/2026

    Hill V, Dudas G, Ji X, Huits R, Hamer DH, Joshi HK, Porzucek AJ, Lopes R, Robertson H, Whittaker CF, Kraemer MUG, Johansson MA, Faria NR, Brady O, Dellicour S, Suchard MA, Lemey P, Carlson CJ, Baele G, Grubaugh ND. Phylodynamic analysis reveals asymmetric and accelerating global spread of dengue virus. bioRxiv. 2026 Sep 30. PMID: 42856555.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/23/2026

    Messersmith LJ, West RL, Larson A, Beard J, Simmons E, Halim N, Gasuza J, Aroda P, Hamer DH, Gifford AL, Mukasa B, Sabin LL. What went wrong? A qualitative exploration of the determinants of poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy and retention in care among pregnant and postpartum women in the Uganda WiseMama trial. Glob Public Health. 2026 Dec 31; 21(1):2736318. PMID: 42779011.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/2/2026

    Hamer DH, Huits R. Transfusion-transmitted Severe Dengue: Implications for Blood Supply Safety. Clin Infect Dis. 2026 Sep 02; 83(2):239-241. PMID: 42087416.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/12/2026

    Pebolo PF, Bongomin F, Morgan B, Pitua I, Nantale R, Omona V, Ngonzi J, Hamer DH. Incidence of neonatal sepsis among HIV exposed neonates of mothers on integrase strand transfer inhibitors in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2026 Aug 12; 26(1). PMID: 42601609.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/11/2026

    Hamer DH, Fine E, Berhane Y, Hawkins C, Makhema J, Miot J, Mohan S, Moolla A, Moshabela M, Moshiro C, Moyo S, Murphy RL, Musa J, Nadesan-Reddy N, Ndung'u T, Ogunsola F, Ouma C, Perkins DJ, Sudfeld CR, Sunguya B, Tiburu EK, Wearne N, Worku A, Fawzi WW. Mentors Perspectives on Advancing Global Health Research through Better Mentorship. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2026 Oct 07; 115(4):683-693. PMID: 42580321.

    Read at: PubMed

Other Positions

  • Professor, Medicine
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Faculty, National Emerging Infectious Disease Lab
    Boston University
  • Faculty, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research
    Boston University
  • Core Co-lead for EIDs, One Health, and Climate Change, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research
    Boston University
  • Faculty, African Studies Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Pulmonary Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Graduate Medical Sciences Educator and Mentor (Primary Mentor of Graduate Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Education

  • University of Vermont College of Medicine, MD
  • Amherst College, BA