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
Mills 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. 2025 May 13. 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.
Published on 12/22/2024Murray Horwitz ME, Dugas JN, McCloskey L, So-Armah K, Yarrington CD, Buitron de la Vega P, Benjamin EJ, Battaglia TA. Associations between Health-Related Social Needs and Postpartum Linkage to Care. Am J Prev Med. 2025 Apr; 68(4):707-716. PMID: 39716509.
Published on 12/12/2024Abi N, Young A, Tiwari P, Chen J, Liu C, Hui Q, So-Armah K, Freiberg MS, Justice AC, Xu K, Gwinn M, Marconi VC, Sun YV. Epigenome-Wide and Methylation Risk Score Analysis of Body Mass Index Among People with HIV. Epigenomes. 2024 Dec 12; 8(4). PMID: 39727808.
Published on 11/29/2024Johnson NL, Beaugard CA, Heredia-Perez D, So-Armah K, Reason P, Yule AM, Lee CS, Chapman SE, Chatterjee A, McClay C, Weeden T, Becerril C, Thomas D, Komaromy M. Embracing anti-racism: Co-creating recommendations with Black people for how addiction treatment needs to change. Soc Sci Med. 2025 Jan; 364:117433. PMID: 39615095.
Published on 11/8/2024Rosenmoss S, LaRochelle M, Bearnot B, Weinstein Z, So-Armah K, Moyo P, Yan S, Walley AY, Kimmel SD. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Referral Rejection From Postacute Care Facilities Among People With Opioid Use Disorder in Massachusetts. J Addict Med. 2025 Mar-Apr 01; 19(2):165-171. PMID: 39514897.
Published on 11/2/2024Chen J, Hui Q, Titanji BK, So-Armah K, Freiberg M, Justice AC, Xu K, Zhu X, Gwinn M, Marconi VC, Sun YV. A multi-trait epigenome-wide association study identified DNA methylation signature of inflammation among men with HIV. Clin Epigenetics. 2024 Nov 02; 16(1):152. PMID: 39488703.
Published on 11/1/2024Moreira-Bouchard JD, Cunha J, Tao BS, Kim H, Lepson J, Nessen EJ, Milstone ZJ, Fisher N, Clinton N, Roberts LM, Serrano MA, Gopal DM, Benjamin EJ, So-Armah K, Fetterman JL. Creating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility statements for your CV: a resource guide to effectiveness and comprehensiveness. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024 Dec 01; 327(6):H1376-H1383. PMID: 39485298.
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.