Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Karen Jacobson is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Diseases, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Jacobson’s research focuses on the epidemiology of tuberculosis, including identification of biological and social determinants of and risk factors for tuberculosis infection and disease (including drug resistant tuberculosis) and approaches for improving tuberculosis outcomes in resource-limited settings. Dr. Jacobson is the Medical Director of the Boston Medical Center Tuberculosis Clinic and has established a highly productive collaboration with researchers in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work has particular emphasis in understanding how substance use impacts on tuberculosis transmission and response to therapy.

Publications

  • Published 8/29/2025

    Niemand N, Rooney JA, Malatesta S, Rawoot N, Bouton TC, Ragan EJ, Carney T, White LF, Farhat M, Horsburgh CR, Myers B, Warren RM, Jacobson KR. Contamination rates in serially sampled sputum specimens obtained during tuberculosis treatment to capture culture conversion. Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Aug 29; e0096925. PMID: 40879468.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/29/2025

    Martins MF, Teran Plasencia JM, Jacobson KR, Bouton TC, Traber KE, Canning M, Bourque DL, Sabharwal V, Michaud R, Sinha P, Acuña-Villaorduña CJ. Rifampin versus isoniazid completion rates for TB infection. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2025 Aug 29; 29(9):425-427. PMID: 40883884.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/1/2025

    Tzelios CA, Malatesta S, Carney T, White LF, Weber SE, Thomson S, Theron D, Myers B, Parry CDH, Warren RM, Horsburgh CR, Farhat MR, Jacobson KR. Patient Determinants and Effects on Adherence of Adverse Drug Reactions to Tuberculosis Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Aug 01; 81(1):167-175. PMID: 39973802.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/26/2025

    Carney T, Johnson K, Meade C, Niemand N, Rooney J, Weber S, Lambrechts T, Mpisane N, Horsburgh CR, Theron D, Warren R, Thomson S, Overbeck V, Myers B, Jacobson K. The feasibility of respondent-driven sampling with people who use drugs in rural Western Cape, South Africa: A qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025; 5(6):e0004065. PMID: 40569934.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/11/2025

    Campbell JI, Garing A, Lavache D, Bahad S, Hofman M, Haberer JE, Brooks MB, Sinha P, White LF, Sabharwal V, Tschampl CA, Horsburgh CR, Jenkins HE, Jacobson KR. Social Vulnerability Modifies the Effects of Geographic Proximity on Engagement in Latent Tuberculosis Infection Care in a United States Safety Net Healthcare Network. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Jul; 12(7):ofaf347. PMID: 40606058.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 95 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Associate Professor, Epidemiology
    Boston University School of Public Health
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University

Websites

Education

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
  • Harvard School of Public Health, MPH
  • Yale University, BS

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