Research

My research encompasses methodological and applied/collaborative work. My methodological work is largely influenced by my collaborative research work. I collaborate substantially with colleagues in the Section on Infectious Diseases at Boston Medical Center.

My areas of research interest and current activity are:

1. Statistical estimation of the reproductive number. My thesis work focused in this area, and I have remained active in this area ever since. We work on developing techniques to incorporate heterogeneity in transmission, missing data, and time lags between reporting and disease onset. We have applied these methods in many setting, including influenza, TB and COVID-19.
2. Estimation of the serial interval. This problem is closely related to estimation of the reproductive number. We have worked on this problem particularly with TB. We use genetic information and meta data to try to infer this. We have also shown how one might infer this value using cure models for TB.
3. Household versus community transmission of TB. We have been working on multiple approaches to better elucidate and estimate the role of household versus community transmission in TB household contact studies.
4. Surveillance of Substance Use Disorders. I have worked with colleagues to use capture recapture methods to estimate the prevalence of opioid use disorder. We continue to work in this area to best understand how to use available data to perform surveillance activities.
5. TB and substance use disorders. I am working with collaborators to understand the complex relationship between substance use disorders and TB disease.