News

Four MPEC faculty recently received awards and new faculty appointments!

January 17, 2025

• Congratulations to Dr. Crystal North, MD, MPH, on being awarded the 2025 Young Physician-Scientist Award by the American Society for Clinical Investigation for making notable achievements early in her research career!
• Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Bebell, MD, MSc, on being promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School!
• Congratulations to Esther Freeman, MD, PhD, for being one of the recipients of the 2025 International League of Dermatology Society’s Young Dermatologist International Achievement Award!
• Congratulations to Andrea Ciaranello, MD, MPH, on her promotion to Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and to Interim HIV Clinical Services Director at Massachusetts General Hospital!

“Cutting Out Stigma” Intervention – Barbershops Link Black Men in Tennessee to HIV Care

October 17, 2024

“Cutting out Stigma,” led by Aima Ahonkhai, MD, MPH, is a barbershop-based HIV intervention focusing on decreasing HIV stigma among Black men in Tennessee. The program is one of three national winners of the Department of Health and Human Services’ HIV-related Stigma and Disparities Challenge!

Study Finds That Tennessee’s Shift in HIV Prevention Funding Will Lead to Poorer Health Outcomes for its Residents

July 11, 2024

Ethan Borre, MD, PHD, found in a recent study Tennessee’s recent shift in HIV prevention funding will lead to poorer health outcomes for its residents. The analysis revealed that reallocating HIV prevention funding away from CDC-prioritized populations (men who have sex with men, transgender women, and heterosexual Black women) towards Tennessee-prioritized populations (first responders, pregnant people, and survivors of sex trafficking) would result in additional HIV transmissions and deaths. Over 10 years, the impact of the policy change is projected to result in 166 additional HIV transmissions, 190 additional deaths, and 843 life-years lost.

Borre, E. D., Ahonkhai, A. A., Chi, K. K., Osman, A., Thayer, K., Person, A. K., Weddle, A., Flanagan, C. F., Pettit, A. C., Closs, D., Cotton, M., Agwu, A. L., Cespedes, M. S., Ciaranello, A. L., Gonsalves, G., Hyle, E. P., Paltiel, A. D., Freedberg, K. A., & Neilan, A. M. (2024). Projecting the Potential Clinical and Economic Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention Resource Reallocation in Tennessee. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, ciae243. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae243

Does type of antiretroviral therapy pick-up point influence 12-month virologic suppression in South Africa?

June 11, 2024

Ingrid Bassett, MD, MPH and MPEC co-investigators reported in AIDS and Behavior that participants in South Africa’s Central Chronic Medicine Dispending and Distribution Programme appreciated the convenience of community-based medication pick-up and noted less clinic crowding and fewer medications over time. However, community and healthcare related stigma remain a challenge.

Bassett IV, Yan J, Govere S, Khumalo A, Shazi Z, Nzuza M, Aung T, Rahman K, Zionts D, Dube N, Tshabalala S, Bogart LM, Parker RA. Does type of antiretroviral therapy pick-up point influence 12-month virologic suppression in South Africa? AIDS Care. 2024 Oct;36(10):1518-1527. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2024.2361817. Epub 2024 Jun 11. PMID: 38861653; PMCID: PMC11343678.

Cost-Effectiveness of Early Intervention: Treating Perinatally Acquired Hepatitis C Virus in 3-Year-Olds

March 18, 2024

Megan Curtis, MD, along with other collaborators developed a state-transition model to evaluate the optimal timing of treatment for perinatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of 1,000 children, given the recent availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for those aged 3 and older. The study found that initiating treatment at 3 years old reduced lifetime healthcare costs and improved survival, compared to delaying until 6 years old, preventing 89 cases of cirrhosis, 27 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, and 74 liver-related deaths. These findings highlight the substantial clinical and economic benefits of early DAA therapy and underscore the importance of increasing access to treatment for young children.

Curtis, M. R., Epstein, R. L., Pei, P., Linas, B. P., & Ciaranello, A. L. (2024). Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies for Treatment Timing for Perinatally Acquired Hepatitis C Virus. JAMA pediatrics, e240114. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0114

MGH Research Scholar is a Determined Policy Advocate

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Infectious Disease discusses her congressional testimony, public health advocacy and the challenges of infectious diseases.