Disease Surveillance Research

The Department has a newly formed disease surveillance unit with research in the following areas:

Florence Bodeau-Livinec

Florence Bodeau-Livinec, MD, PhD

Perinatal Epidemiology and Anemia

Studies in anemia during pregnancy are being conducted by Dr. Bodeau-Livinec in several parts of the world. Dr. Bodeau-Livinec is working in collaboration with the French Institute for Research on Development and the University of Benin, in studying the consequences of anemia during pregnancy on the outcome of children by the age of 2 in Benin. These outcomes include psychomotor, visual and auditory testing. As the prevalence of HIV in Benin is very low (2%), Dr. Bodeau-Livinec is hoping to expand the project to another field site in Kenya with higher HIV prevalence to study the effect of HIV during pregnancy on the outcome of children, as HIV is a risk factor for anemia during pregnancy.

Oralee Branch Image

Oralee Branch, PhD

Malaria Molecular Epidemiology

Dr. OraLee Branch's group combines epidemiology with genetics, immunology and molecular biology in the study of malaria. These molecular epidemiology studies are focused within geographic regions where there is P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria both transmitted to the same human population, at a rate that is considered low transmission in comparison to most places in Africa in Asia. There are two field sites: one in Peru, in collaboration with the Peruvian university, Universidad Nacional Amazonia Peruana, and one in India, in collaboration with the Indian research institute, National Malaria Research Center.

Jane Carlton

Jane Carlton, PhD

T. vaginalis genetic diversity and population structure

In collaboration with the New York City Bureau of STDs, the Carlton lab has collected several hundred vaginal swabs in an attempt to discern the prevalence of T. vaginalis infections among women attending eight NYC STD clinics. We are using a panel of polymorphic genetic markers to study the genetic diversity and population structure of the parasite in these samples, which will begin to describe the epidemiology of the disease.

Donald Chen

Donald Chen, MD

Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology of P. falciparum Malaria

Dr. Donald Chen's research interests encompass the molecular and genetic epidemiology of P. falciparum malaria. In and around urban and periurban Mombasa, Kenya, Dr. Chen is establishing the field sites to study the genetic diversity of P. falciparum parasites. He is also examining the epidemiology of clinical malaria, and the host and parasite factors that may contribute to a severe malaria outcome.