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Kunchok
Dorjee

Assistant Professor
Dr. Kunchok Dorjee

Departmental Affiliations

School of Medicine
Primary
Joint
Division
Global Disease Epidemiology and Control

Contact Info

Research Interests

  • Tuberculosis elimination; tuberculosis preventive treatment; Tuberculosis transmission; tuberculosis, refugee & migration; tuberculosis and cardiovascular disease; tuberculosis and diabetes.
  • HIV prevention; PrEP; antiretroviral therapy. 
  • Hepatitis B virus infection; hepatitis B treatment and cure. 
  • Helicobacter pylori; Gastric cancer. 
  • Covid-19; dengue; antiviral therapeutics. 
Experiences & Accomplishments
Overview

Dr. Kunchok Dorjee, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and International Health, is a physician-epidemiologist whose work focusses on the prevention and control of infectious diseases on population level, particularly tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, developing optimum disease control strategies in the face of complex intersections with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health. Dr. Dorjee and his team leverage transformative technologies including artificial intelligence, spatial science and whole genome sequencing in multidisciplinary spaces for disease detection and deciphering of transmission dynamics. Dr. Dorjee is PI of P4HIV, a NIAID-CFAR funded project that seeks to determine best strategies for implementation of PrEP for HIV in South East Asia. 

Dr. Dorjee is the PI of a large international research consortium–Zero TB in Kids & Family–that seeks to end global TB epidemic in children employing a multi-pronged strategy of community mobilization, active case finding, screening for latent TB infection and preventive therapy in an innovative mobile service delivery model. The Zero TB in Kids program has succeeded in reducing TB incidence by more than 80% in Tibetan refugee children. Dr. Dorjee is the PI of an international antiviral research consortium (EVOLVE) comprised of four universities (Rutgers, Stony Brook, University of Maryland) that seeks to translate findings from across fundamental and clinical sciences to develop therapeutics for viral infections including Covid-19 and dengue through evaluation in clinical trials. Dr. Dorjee provides mentorship to several doctoral and graduate students. Dr. Dorjee's other areas of research include hepatitis B virus infection, helicobacter pylori and antimicrobial resistance, and gastric cancer. Dr. Dorjee has authored several high impact publications. 

Honors & Awards
  1.  Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research Scholar Development Award (2022)
  2. NIH-NIAID K01 Career Development Award (2019)
  3.  Member, Delta Lambda chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society at Stony Brook (2019)
  4.  Stony Brook University Norman H. Edelman Alumni Achievement Award (2018)
  5.  Excellence in Clinical Science-Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Mentee-Mentor Fellowship Award (2017)
  6.  UC-Berkeley Block Grant Doctoral Fellowship Award (2014)
  7.  Betsy-Gordon Scholarship Award (2015)
  8.  Dalai Lama Trust Scholarship (2013)
  9.   ICOHRTA Scholar Award Johns Hopkins Center for TB Research (2010)
  10.   Fulbright Scholarship, US State Department - MPH Degree, Stony Brook (2008)
Select Publications

Select publications: 

  •  Dorjee K, Topgyal S, Tsewang T, Tsundue T, Namdon T, Bonomo E, Kensler C, Lhadon D, Choetso T, Nangsel T, Dolkar T, Tsekyi T, Dorjee C, Phunkyi D, Sadutshang TD,   Paster Z, Chaisson RE. Risk of developing active tuberculosis following tuberculosis screening and preventive therapy for Tibetan refugee children and adolescents in   India: An impact assessment. PLoS Med. 2021 Jan 19;18(1):e1003502. PMID: 33465063;

     Dorjee K, Topgyal S, Dorjee C, Tsundue T, Namdol T, Tsewang T, Nangsel T, Lhadon D, Choetso T, Dawa T, Phentok T, DeLuca AN, Tsering L, Phunkyi D, Sadutshang TD,     Bonomo E, Paster Z, Chaisson RE. High Prevalence of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Tibetan Schools in India: The Zero TB Kids             Initiative in Tibetan Refugee Children. Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Nov 20. doi: 10.1093. PubMed PMID: 30462191.

     Tsundue T,  Namdon T,  Tsewang T, Sonam Topgyal S, Dolma T, Lhadon D,  Choetso T,  Woesal T,  Yangkyi T, Gupta A, David Peters D, Zorba Paster Z, Phunkyi D,   Sadutshang TD, Chaisson RE, and Dorjee K. First and second doses of Covishield vaccine provided high level of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in highly   transmissible settings: results from a prospective cohort of participants residing in congregate facilities in India. BMJ Global Health 2022;7:e008271. PMID: 35609920

     Dorjee K, Desai M, Choden T, Baxi SM, Hubbard AE, Reingold AL. Acute myocardial infarction associated with abacavir and tenofovir based antiretroviral drug   combinations in the United States. AIDS Res Ther. 2021 Sep 6;18(1):57. PMID: 34488812. 

     Dorjee K, Kim H, Bonomo E, Dolma R (2020) Prevalence and predictors of death and severe disease in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19: A comprehensive   systematic review and meta-analysis of 77 studies and 38,000 patients. PLoS One. 2020 Dec 7;15(12):e0243191. PMID: 33284825PLoS ONE 15(12): e0243191. 

     

Projects
NIH-NIAID: Tuberculosis Transmission and Preventive Therapy in Children and Adolescents in India
Johns Hopkins Alliance for a Healthier World: Transformative Technology for Tuberculosis Screening in Children and Young Adults
Vaccine Against Covid-19 for Tibetan refugees in India
Zero TB in Kids & Family
Zero TB in Tibetan Kids
Emetine for Viral Outbreaks, A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (EVOLVE)
Smart Children Initiative
Etiology and Prevention of gastric cancer in Tibetan and Himalayan populations
P4HIV: Strategies for Preventing HIV using PrEP in Nepal
Tuberculosis Screening and Preventive Therapy in Himalayan Children and Nunneries in India (TB REACH)
Cardiovascular outcomes in people with HIV