David

W.

Dowdy

,

MD

I am an infectious disease epidemiologist and general internist focused primarily on the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). My interdisciplinary research lies at the nexus of experimental and observational epidemiology, infectious disease modeling, health economics, and implementation science. 
My primary interests are:
(1) Dynamic modeling and economic evaluation of TB and TB/HIV: I combine methods from field-based epidemiology, cost-effectiveness analysis, and epidemic modeling with the aim of answering questions of relevance to patients and policy-makers. Many of my research projects focus on the process of case-finding and diagnosis, which remains one of the biggest gaps in TB control efforts worldwide. I am the director of the Bioinformatics, Modeling, and Biostatistics Core (BMBC) of the JHU Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center (JHU TRAC), and I am the PI/MPI of four NIH-funded clinical trials - of mobile chest X-ray focused case finding, contact investigation, screening, and preventive treatment. Most of my work is based in Malawi, as a core faculty member of the Uganda Tuberculosis Implementation Research Consortium (U-TIRC, u-tirc.org), and in South Africa, in collaboration with the Perinatal HIV Research Unit and Setshaba Research Centre. I also conduct research in Vietnam, Pakistan, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, and the United States (among other countries). 
(2) Translational epidemiology: I have great interest in creating modeling frameworks that allow decision-makers to translate epidemiological data into effective decisions.  I welcome collaboration from researchers, clinicians, or students having expertise in any field, who hope to create models to translate epidemiological data into meaningful policy, practical, or clinical decisions.
(3) Implementation science: I am interested not only in how interventions operate in idealized settings, but also improving how they are implemented in the real world. I am particularly interested in the cost and cost-effectiveness of improving health systems in LMICs. I am a core faculty member of the HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (HIGH IRI, https://sites.wustl.edu/highiri/) and the NHLBI-funded HLB-SIMPLe Alliance.
(4) Teaching and mentorship:  These are essential, and often-undervalued, skills in the field of epidemiology.  If our profession is to continue its record of success, I firmly believe that we need to train future leaders how to teach and mentor others, and also to do our best to serve as role models in that regard.