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Laura
K.
Beres
,
PhD

Assistant Scientist
Laura Beres

Departmental Affiliations

Primary
Division
Social and Behavioral Interventions

Center & Institute Affiliations

Laura Beres, PhD ’19, MPH, uses implementation science and participatory approaches to optimize engagement in HIV prevention, care, and treatment services globally.

Contact Info

Research Interests

HIV treatment and prevention; Implementation science; Mixed methods research; Formative research; Qualitative research; Causal inference; Human centered design; Participatory research; Systematic review; Behavior change; Retention in care; Re-engagement in care; Reproductive health and rights; Women; Intimate partner violence; Health systems; sub-Saharan Africa; Zambia; Lesotho
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
2019
MPH
Emory Rollins School of Public Health
2011
BS
Northwestern University
2004
Overview
I am a social and behavioral scientist focused on the development and evaluation of interventions to effectively prevent and treat HIV in low resource settings, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. I utilize my training in quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct mixed-methods implementation research with the goal of identifying and applying optimized practices in real-world settings.

I am particularly interested in 1) Applying and advancing formative research methods to appropriately tailor implementation strategies and outcomes measurement; 2) Understanding behavior change processes across a social ecological framework including health systems, communities, families and individuals and effectively promoting positive health outcomes; 3) Characterizing and identifying the effect of experiences of violence on HIV and health outcomes, particularly among women, 4) Promoting the translation of evidence to action through systematic reviews, stakeholder engagement, and, most importantly, working with communities and policy makers to ensure that research is relevant, appropriate, and rigorous.

I see public health practice and policy as central to improved health outcomes. I served as an HIV & AIDS Advisor to the Lesotho National Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship (2007-2009), and a Task Force member for Lesotho National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2006-2011. I supported a process for multiple partners in 2013-2014 to draft the ‘Zambian Prisons Health Systems Strengthening Framework’, Zambian Prison Health Action Plan, to establish prison health committees, and to offer health capacity building for prison leadership. I co-authored the 2017 World Health Organization Consolidated guideline on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV.
Honors & Awards
Advising, Mentoring and Teaching Recognition Award (AMTRA), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2021

R. Bradley Sack Family Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2019

Procter & Gamble Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2016

Delta Omega Honor Society, 2010

Robert W. Woodruff Merit Scholar, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, 2009-2011
Select Publications
Selected publications
  • Beres LK, Schwartz S, Simbeza S, McGready J, Eshun-Wilson I, Mwamba C, Sikombe K, Topp SM, Somwe P, Mody A, Mukamba N, Ehrenkranz PD, Padian N, Pry J, Bolton Moore C, Holmes CB, Sikazwe I, Denison JA, Geng E. Patterns and Predictors of Incident Return to HIV Care Among Traced, Disengaged Patients in Zambia: Analysis of a prospective cohort. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2020 Nov 4; doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002554.
  • Beres LK, Simbeza S, Holmes CB, Mwamba C, Mukamba N, Sharma A, Munamunungu V, Mwachande M, Sikombe K, Bolton-Moore C, Mody A, Koyuncu A, Christopoulous K, Jere L, Pry J, Ehrenkranz PD, Budden A, Geng E, Sikazwe I. Human Centered Design Lessons for Implementation Science: Improving the implementation of a patient-centered care intervention. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Dec; 82 Suppl 3:S230-S243. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002216.
  • Beres LK, Merrill KG, McGready J, Denison JA, Schwartz S, Sikazwe I, Decker MR. Intimate partner violence polyvictimisation and HIV among coupled women in Zambia: Analysis of a population-based survey. Global Public Health. 2019 November 11; doi: 10.1080/17441692.2019.1686532.
  • Beres LK, Narasimhan M, Robinson J, Welbourn A, Kennedy CE. Non-specialist psychosocial support interventions for women living with HIV: A systematic review. AIDS Care. 2017:1-9. Epub 2017/04/26. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2017.1317324. PubMed PMID: 28438030.
  • Beres LK, Mbabali I, Anok A, Katabalwa C, Mulamba J, Thomas AG, Bugos E, Nakigozi G, Grabowski MK, Chang LW. Mobile Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention and Health Behavior Change Among Adults in Rakai, Uganda: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2021 Jul 20;5(7):e22693. doi: 10.2196/22693. PMID: 34283027; PMCID: PMC8335611.
Projects
Leveraging Person-Centered Care to Improve HIV Outcomes in Zambia
Adapt for Adolescents (A4A) study, Kenya
Ecological Momentary Assessment and Intervention research, Rakai Health Sciences Program
LIVE Project, living database and evidence synthesis of implementation research in HIV
Mid-Atlantic CFAR Consortium Plus (MACC+) Implementation Science Hub
Lesotho Patient and Program Outcomes