Kirsten E. Austad, MD MPH

Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Kirsten Austad MD MPH is an implementation scientist and Co-Director of Boston University's Evans Center for Implementation & Improvement Science (CIIS). She possesses expertise in qualitative methods and novel mixed methods approaches. Her research focusing on advancing theory and methods within implementation science and improving delivery of evidence-based interventions to populations in the safety net setting with an emphasis on those with non-English language preference (NELP). As such she has experience conducting research in diverse multilingual settings and intervention adaptation. Her research is inspired by her clinical work as a hospitalist at BMC, by the six years she worked as Director of Women's Health programming for a non-profit in Guatemala that service rural indigenous Maya communities, and by her broad training in Family Medicine.

Currently she is supported by a K23 from NIMHD to adapt a transitional care intervention for patients with NELP. She was also the PI of the TIDE pilot trial funded by BMC's Health Equity Accelerator, which tested a package of language-concordant discharge teaching tools for patients with NELP in a pilot randomized controlled trial.

As Co-Director of CIIS she provides mentorship to early career faculty completing the implementation science fellowship, participates in campus education on implementation science, and provides consults for others on campus looking to integrate implementation science into their research and practice.

Areas of expertise: implementation science, transitions of care
Methods expertise: qualitative methods, rapid qualitative analysis, design and conduct of discrete choice experiments, intervention adaptation, cultural adaptation, pilot clinical trials

Publications

  • Published 9/5/2025

    Mooney H, Austad K, Campbell EG, Avorn J, Lu Z, Kesselheim AS. Physician Perspectives on Pharmaceutical Promotion. JAMA Health Forum. 2025 Sep 05; 6(9):e253521. PMID: 40911328.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/28/2025

    Erfle BA, Steel TL, Law AC, Kaufman DA, Hills-Dunlap K, Afshar M, Walkey AJ, Austad KE, Drainoni ML, Bosch NA. Pharmacological Interventions for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Among Hospitalized Adults: A Multicenter Cohort Study. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Aug 28. PMID: 40877712.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/27/2025

    Rudel RK, Powers E, Austad K, Burrowes SAB, Couloute Z, Smith AEC, Prifti C, Freiman JM, Wigmore R, Walkey A, Hicks JM, Barlam TF, Drainoni ML. Using learner verification and transcreation to develop multicultural patient education materials for acute respiratory tract infections to decrease inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. PEC Innov. 2025 Dec; 7:100415. PMID: 40686553.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/28/2025

    Austad K, Cordova-Ramos EG, Fernandez A, Drainoni ML. Lost in translation: advancing intervention adaptation for populations with non-dominant language preference in high diversity settings. Implement Sci Commun. 2025 May 28; 6(1):66. PMID: 40437645.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/25/2025

    Mohanty A, Austad K, Bosch NA, Long MT, Nolen-Doerr E, Walkey AJ, Drainoni ML, Rizo I, Fantasia KL. Assessing Clinician Engagement With a Passive Clinical Decision Support System for Liver Fibrosis Risk Stratification in a Weight Management Clinic. Endocr Pract. 2025 Jul; 31(7):899-905. PMID: 40288606.

    Read at: PubMed

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Websites

Education

  • Harvard Medical School, MD
  • Harvard School of Public Health, MPH
  • University of Wisconsin Madison, BS

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