BU-CHART Mentors
Program Directors
Benjamin P. Linas, MD, MPH
Director of HIV Epidemiology and Outcomes Research Unit
Associate Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-5238
Benjamin.Linas@bmc.org
Research Interests: HIV and HCV Comparative- and Cost-Effectiveness
C. Robert Horsburgh, Jr., MD, MUS
Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Medicine, Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston University School of Public Health
(617) 638-7775
rhorsbu@bu.edu
Research Interests: The Effects of HIV Disease on the Course of Hepatitis C Infection and on the Risk for and Course of Tuberculosis; Epidemiological Studies of HIV, TB, and Other Opportunistic Infections; HIV and TB Vaccine Trials; and Drug Trials for the Treatment and Prevention of TB.
Senior Faculty Mentors
Deborah J. Anderson, PhD
Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Microbiology
617-414-8482
Deborah.Anderson@bmc.org
Research Interests: Mucosal immunology, Innate immunity, HIV-1 transmission
Sabrina A. Assoumou, MD, MPH
Inaugural Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Professor of Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-5282
Sabrina.Assoumou@bmc.org
Research Interests: Medical complications of substance use including HIV and Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Models of care and on improving the continuum of care for individuals with HIV and/or HCV
Abigail (Abby) Batchelder, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Psychiatry, General Internal Medicine, BUSM; Associate Professor, Community Health Sciences, BUSPH; Director of the Behavioral Health Equity Program; Associate Vice Chair of Psychology, Psychiatry, BMC
Research Aims: Collaboratively identify, adapt, and implement evidence-based interventions with and for underserved people with unmet psycho-behavioral health needs, including people with and vulnerable to HIV, people who use drugs, and sexual and gender minority people with a goal of increasing behavioral health equity.
Mari-Lynn Drainoni, PhD
Research Professor of Health Law, Policy and Management
(617) 358-2992
drainoni@bu.edu
Research Interests: Implementation science, program evaluation, HIV/AIDS in vulnerable populations, addictions, hepatitis C, access to care, organization and development of innovative models of care, qualitative research methods.
Laura Forsberg White, PhD
Professor of Biostatistics
(617) 358-2519
lfwhite@bu.edu
Research Interests: Developing statistical tools to better understand the transmission dynamics and epidemiology of infectious diseases and substance use disorders
Matthew P. Fox, DSc
Professor of Epidemiology and Global Health
(617) 358-2062
mfox@bu.edu
*Advisory Panel Member
Research Interests: HIV treatment and retention in care in resource-limited settings and treatment of childhood pneumonia.
Allen L. Gifford, MD
Professor of Health Law, Policy and Management
(781) 687-3417
agifford@bu.edu
Research Interests: HIV and Hepatitis Quality Improvement Research, Implementation Research, Medication Adherence
Suryaram Gummuluru, PhD
Professor of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology
(617) 358-1774
rgummuluru@bu.edu
Research Interests: HIV/AIDS, Virus Evasion of Innate Responses, Inflammation and Virus Replication, Role of dendritic cells (DCs) in the initiation and propagation of HIV-1 replication
Andrew J. Henderson, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Microbiology, Assistant Dean, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences
(617) 414-5240
Andrew.Henderson@bmc.org
*Advisory Panel Member
Research Interests: Cellular mechanisms that regulate HIV replication and transcription, Elucidating T cell costimulatory signal transduction cascades that positively and negatively regulate HIV transcription, Determining mechanisms by which HIV circumvents anti-inflammatory signals to promote HIV replication and AIDS-associated inflammatory diseases, Characterizing the transcriptional status of HIV provirus in T cell and macrophage subsets.
Karen R. Jacobson, MD,MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-5213
Karen.Jacobson@bmc.org
Research Interests: Epidemiology of drug resistant tuberculosis, including identification of social, biological, and economic determinants of and risk factors for drug resistance and approaches for improving TB outcomes in resource-limited settings.
Helen E. Jenkins, PhD
Associate Professor of Biostatistics
(617) 358-2640
helenje@bu.edu
Research Interests: Novel ways to analyze data that can have a public health impact in the field of infectious diseases, Tuberculosis including developing new estimates of pediatric TB incidence and mortality, and spatial methods to understand geographic heterogeneity of TB
Karsten Lunze, MD, MPH, DrPH, FACPM, FAAP
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Global Health
(617) 414-7399
Karsten.Lunze@bmc.org
Research Interests: Stigma and HIV prevention in key populations, Maternal and newborn health
Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, PhD, MPHE, MCHES
Chair and Professor of Community Health Sciences
(617) 358-1342
carod@bu.edu
Research Interests: Engaging the social determinants of health to address health inequities among populations made vulnerable by racism, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, incarceration, and HIV status.
Manish Sagar, MD
Professor of Medicine and Microbiology
(617) 414-5239
Manish.Sagar@bmc.org
Research Interests: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission, Pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 heterosexual transmission
Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology, Global Health, Medicine, Community Health Sciences at BU, Chief of the Section of Internal Medicine
(617) 414-7444
Jeff.Samet@bmc.org
*Advisory Panel Member
Research Interests: Linkage of addiction treatment and medical care; addressing substance use issues in the primary care setting; the impact of alcohol and drug use in HIV-infected persons.
Jennifer Snyder-Cappione, PhD
Assistant Professor of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology
(617) 638-4296
cappione@bu.edu
Research Interests: Regulation of IFN-gamma and cytotoxic effector functions by CD8+ T cells, The role of iNKT cells in HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections as well as sarcoidosis, Determining the diagnostic and prognostic potential of ex vivo immune functional profiling in human inflammatory diseases, Investigating the differentiation potential and lineage relationships of iNKT cell subsets, Elucidating the role of T cell and iNKT cell exhaustion in the progression of infectious diseases and cancer
Michael D. Stein, MD
Professor of Health Law, Policy, & Management
(617) 358-1956
mdstein@bu.edu
Research Interests: Substance use disorders and HIV/AIDS, sleep and pain, mental health disorders, and the determinants of risk-taking
Elisha M. Wachman, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
(617) 414-3690
emorgan@bu.edu
Research Interests: Genetics and epigenetics of NAS, Breastfeeding in the setting of maternal substance use disorders, and the use of non-pharmacologic care methods to improve NAS outcomes
Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc
Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-6975
awalley@bu.edu
Research Interests: The medical complications of drug use, specifically HIV and overdose, the treatment of addictions with behavioral and pharmacologic interventions, and risk behaviors among HIV-infected people and people with HIV risk behaviors.
Junior Faculty Mentors
Assistant Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-5213
tcbouton@bu.edu
Research Interests: Interactions between tuberculosis resistance-conferring mutations, HIV, and clinical outcomes in both diseases
Assistant Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-5295
Rachel.Epstein@bmc.org
Research Interests: Working to utilize large data sets and decision modelling to inform policy and program design to improve care for individuals with Hepatitis C, HIV, and substance use, with a particular focus on pregnant women and youth
Assistant Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-2846
sdkimmel@bu.edu
Research Interests: Integration of addiction and harm reduction services with infectious disease care to improve clinical outcomes for those with and at risk for infectious and medical complications of substance use.
Research Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy, and Management
(617) 358-2047
jakem@bu.edu
Research Interests: Using real world data to predict individual- and population-level health outcomes and inform health policy
Associate Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-7399
cjstreed@bu.edu
Research Interests: Improve the health and well-being of sexual and gender minority individuals and communities, Assess and address the health and well-being of transgender and gender diverse individuals
Associate Professor of Medicine
(617) 414-4376
kaku@bu.edu
Research Interests: Role of co-morbid diseases and immunologic alterations in HIV-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk