Kaku So-Armah PhD
Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine
801 Massachusetts Ave | (617) 414-4376kaku@bu.edu
Sections
General Internal Medicine
Centers
Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit
Biography
Dr. So-Armah is an epidemiologist with expertise in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of cohort studies and use of electronic health record data for research. His lab uses molecular biology coupled with data on health behaviors, risk factors and disease diagnoses to identify and explain novel epidemiological associations and identify novel intervention targets. His research focuses on substance use and chronic infections like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and tuberculosis (TB) and how these exposures impact the heart, liver and lungs.
His work uses data from the Russian cohort of the Uganda Russia Boston Alcohol Network Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (URBAN ARCH) as well as the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS).
His long-term goal is to translate the growing understanding of the mechanisms of excess HIV-related comorbid disease risk into effective, sustainable interventions for HIV populations bearing the brunt of the HIV epidemic.
Education
Epidemiology, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Chemistry, BA, Amherst College
Publications
Gutin SA, Atukunda E, Khorassani FS, Fatch R, So-Armah K, Tumwegamire A, Emenyonu NI, da Silva CE, Ngabirano C, Lunze K, Adong J, Muyindike W, Hahn JA. Intersectional Stigma and Health of People Living with HIV on ART Who Use Alcohol in Southwestern Uganda. AIDS Behav. 2026 Apr 03. PMID: 41931222.
Published on 1/11/2026Shakil SS, Grogan T, So-Armah K, Ganz P, Freiberg MS, Hsue PY. A novel plasma proteomic signature predicts long-term incident heart failure risk among persons living with HIV. medRxiv. 2026 Jan 11. PMID: 41542672.
Published on 12/26/2025Oursler KK, Sun YV, Lozano AJ, Xu K, So-Armah KA, Montano M, Justice AC, Marconi VC. Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Frailty Among People with HIV. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2026 Apr; 42(4):162-169. PMID: 41468122.
Published on 12/20/2025Yan A, Kundu S, Samuels DC, Bailin S, Xu K, So-Armah K, Butt AA, Gerschenson M, Goetz MB, Doyle M, Tracy R, Marconi VC, Justice A, Freiberg M, Koethe JR, Hulgan T. Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroups, Biomarkers of Inflammation and Immune Activation, and Risk of Diabetes in Veterans With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus. J Infect Dis. 2025 Dec 20; 232(6):e1003-e1011. PMID: 40488298.
Published on 11/21/2025Rao AV, Ghare SS, Gautam V, Hoffman KL, Petrosino J, So-Armah K, Samet JH, Patts GJ, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Krupitsky EM, Lioznov D, Zvartau E, McClain CJ, Tindle H, Freiberg MS, Barve SS. Sex differences in beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in People With HIV (PWH) with a history of heavy alcohol drinking. Front Microbiol. 2025; 16:1632949. PMID: 41356481.
Published on 9/12/2025Hahn JA, Kane JC, Fatch R, Espinosa da Silva C, Emenyonu NI, Scheffler A, Chirayil P, So-Armah K, Kahler CW, Conroy AA, Edelman EJ, Woolf-King S, Parry CD, Kiene SM, Chamie G, Muyindike WR, Adong J, Go VF, Cook RL, Morojele NK, Fiellin DA, Santos GM, Tahir P, Samet J, Krupitsky E, Allen IE. Alcohol interventions for persons with HIV: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials using phosphatidylethanol and self-report. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2025 Sep 12; 276:112879. PMID: 40992009.
Published on 5/16/2025Mills L, Sepulveda ER, Miller Z, Jones J, Hernandez G, Ly SM, Canfield J, Flanigan T, Goulet P, Joseph R, Hurstak E, Palmer JA, Sanchez M, So-Armah K, Fitzpatrick AM. Social Determinants of Health and Linkage to HIV Care Among Groups at High Risk for Not Linking to HIV Care. Res Sq. 2025 May 16. PMID: 40470238.
Published on 5/13/2025Haley DF, So-Armah K, Justice AC, Kidwai-Khan F, Xuan Z, Sayko Adams R, Fox MP, Edelman EJ, Wrona A, Silverberg MJ, Satre DD, Trickey A, Ingle SM, McGinnis KA. Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV. J Addict Med. 2026 Jan-Feb 01; 20(1):38-43. PMID: 40358026.
Published on 4/18/2025Fitzpatrick AM, Ly SM, Canfield J, So-Armah K, Palmer JA, Hurstak EE. Experiences of Trainees From Underrepresented Groups Within Addiction Medicine Training Programs: A Qualitative Study. Subst Use Addctn J. 2025 Jul; 46(3):612-623. PMID: 40249028.
Published on 2/11/2025Fuster D, So-Armah K, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Patts G, Lioznov D, Gnatienko N, Long MT, Freiberg MS, Tindle H, Samet JH. Is There an Association Between Cigarette Smoking and Advanced Liver Fibrosis in Smokers with HIV, Heavy Drinking and High Prevalence of HCV? J Clin Med. 2025 Feb 11; 14(4). PMID: 40004700.
Media Mentions
Published on 7/6/2023
Equity Leaders Are Burning Out — So They're Coming Together to Build Resilience
Published on 5/25/2020
4 Questions on HIV and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on 4/4/2019
Depression Plus HIV Can Turn Deadly
View full list of 3 media mentions.