Helen Jenkins, PhD
Associate Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Biostatistics

PhD, Imperial College London
MSc, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
BSc, University of Birmingham



I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics. I have a MSc in Biostatistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Imperial College, London. My career thus far has been characterized by quantitative analysis of infectious disease data with a goal of producing results that can influence policy and decision-making to ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases.
I have extensive experience with modeling of tuberculosis in a range of settings to answer questions of public health importance. I previously had an NIH K01 Award to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). I have analyzed surveillance data from Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and lab data from South Africa, and used spatial statistics to estimate local levels of DR-TB and demonstrate the heterogeneity of the disease burden across individual countries. This type of work can allow policy makers to focus resources where they are most needed and design further studies to understand drivers of these “hot-spots” of disease. I currently have an R01 using South African laboratory data to understand the epidemiology of TB nationally and also an R01 based in Lima, Peru, to understand the impact of geographic access access to TB care on treatment completion and diagnostic delay.

Another one of my primary research areas is pediatric TB. In 2014, I published new estimates of the global pediatric TB incidence using a novel statistical method in The Lancet. Since then the WHO have incorporated my work into their official estimates. This work was significant because it demonstrated the gulf between diagnosed and actual pediatric TB. In 2016, I published estimates of case fatality ratios in children with TB, with and without TB treatment, following a literature review. In 2017, I published the first estimate of the number of children under five years old that die with TB and showed the importance of TB to the global burden of under-5 mortality. This body of work demonstrates the importance of robust TB burden estimates.

I have also worked on a large-scale field trial in the UK estimating the effect of badger culling on bovine TB in cattle. This involved large database analysis, several statistical methods, and resulted in papers in journals such as Nature and PNAS. Our results directly informed UK policy and were scrutinized by governmental committees and other scientists. In my PhD, I analyzed poliomyelitis surveillance data from the WHO. I estimated polio vaccine efficacies in Nigeria and the impact of interventions on poliovirus population immunity, resulting in two lead author publications in the New England Journal of Medicine.

I am also the Co-Director of the Summer Institute of Biostatistics and Data Science, a highly-successful program to introduce undergraduate students to Biostatstics, which has been running for over 20 years.


Understanding and addressing geographic barriers to accessing TB services in a highburden urban setting
02/01/2023 - 01/31/2028 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5R01AI168424-02

BU Summer Institute for Research Education in Biostatistics and Data Science
06/01/2022 - 05/31/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Helen Jenkins, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5R25AI166897-03

Evaluating the tuberculosis epidemic in South Africa using a novel ten year national cohort
04/01/2020 - 03/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
WITS Health Consortium (PTY) LTD NIH NIAID
5R01AI152126-05

Tracking tuberculosis patients in Ukraine to understand pathways through care and the impact of geographic movements
06/07/2021 - 05/31/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5R03AI164123-02

New approaches to optimizing the application and measuring the impact of community-based tuberculosis interventions
08/23/2019 - 05/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. NIH NIMHD
1DP2MD015102-01

New approaches to optimizing the application and measuring the impact of community-based tuberculosis interventions
08/23/2019 - 05/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. NIH NIMHD
1DP2MD015102-01

Cost-effectiveness and optimal resource allocation of Rapid Antigen Diagnostics using simulation modelling (RADx-sim)
01/01/2022 - 06/01/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) KfW Development Bank


Tracking drug-resistant tuberculosis patients through time in South Africa
02/01/2019 - 01/31/2022 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5R03AI144335-02

Providence/Boston CFAR Developmental Award: Counting Kids: Enhancing Detection of Pediatric Tuberculosis in Ukraine
06/25/2018 - 12/24/2020 (Subcontract PI)
The Miriam Hospital NIH NIAID
4P30AI042853-19

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of drug resistant tuberculosis
06/06/2013 - 01/31/2019 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5K01AI102944-06


Evaluating the tuberculosis epidemic in South Africa using a novel ten year national cohort
04/13/2020 - 03/31/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Helen Jenkins, PhD
DMMH - A Division of WITS Health Consortium NIH NIAID
1R01AI152126-01


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 Understanding and addressing geographic barriers to accessing TB services in a high-burden urban setting 5R01AI168424-03
2024 Understanding and addressing geographic barriers to accessing TB services in a high-burden urban setting 5R01AI168424-02
2024 BU Summer Institute for Research Education in Biostatistics and Data Science 5R25AI166897-03
2024 Evaluating the tuberculosis epidemic in South Africa using a novel ten-year cohort 5R01AI152126-05
2023 Understanding and addressing geographic barriers to accessing TB services in a high-burden urban setting 1R01AI168424-01A1
2023 BU Summer Institute for Research Education in Biostatistics and Data Science 5R25AI166897-02
2023 Evaluating the tuberculosis epidemic in South Africa using a novel ten-year cohort 5R01AI152126-04
2022 Tracking tuberculosis patients in Ukraine to understand pathways through care and the impact of geographic movements 5R03AI164123-02
2022 Evaluating the tuberculosis epidemic in South Africa using a novel ten-year cohort 5R01AI152126-03
2021 Tracking tuberculosis patients in Ukraine to understand pathways through care and the impact of geographic movements 1R03AI164123-01
Showing 10 of 20 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. du Preez K, Jenkins HE, Martinez L, Chiang SS, Dlamini SS, Dolynska M, Aleksandrin A, Kobe J, Graham SM, Hesseling AC, Starke JR, Seddon JA, Dodd PJ. Global burden of tuberculous meningitis in children aged 0-14 years in 2019: a mathematical modelling study. Lancet Glob Health. 2025 Jan; 13(1):e59-e68.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39706662; PMCID: PMC11729397; DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00383-8;
     
  2. Shapiro AN, Scott L, Moultrie H, Jacobson KR, Bor J, Conradie F, da Silva P, Mlisana K, Jenkins HE, Stevens WS. Risk factors for and timing of presumptive recurrent TB. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024 Nov 01; 28(11):527-533.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39468024
     
  3. Hansen MA, Han AX, Chevalier JM, Klock E, Pandithakoralage H, Nooy A, Ockhuisen T, Girdwood SJ, Lekodeba NA, Khan S, Jenkins HE, Johnson CC, Sacks JA, Russell CA, Nichols BE. Cost-effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing at routine gatherings to minimize community-level infections in lower-middle income countries: A mathematical modeling study. PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0311198.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39365802; PMCID: PMC11451991; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311198;
     
  4. Campbell JI, Lavache D, Garing A, Sabharwal V, Haberer JE, Dubois M, Jenkins HE, Brooks MB, Joseph NT, Kissler K, Horsburgh CR, Jacobson KR. Evaluation of the Tuberculosis Infection Care Cascade Among Pregnant Individuals in a Low-Tuberculosis-Burden Setting. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2024 Sep; 11(9):ofae494.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39238842; PMCID: PMC11376066; DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae494;
     
  5. Shapiro AN, Dolynska M, Chiang SS, Rybak N, Petrenko V, Horsburgh CR, Kobe J, Terleieva I, Sakalska O, Jenkins HE. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB notifications in Ukraine in 2020. IJTLD Open. 2024 Jun; 1(6):258-265.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39021447; PMCID: PMC11249659; DOI: 10.5588/ijtldopen.24.0194;
     
  6. Chiang SS, Jenkins HE. Pediatric TB treatment outcomes: targets for improvement. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024 Jun 01; 28(6):263-265. PMID: 38822487
     
  7. Ockhuisen T, de Nooy A, Jenkins HE, Han A, Russell CA, Khan S, Girdwood S, Ruhwald M, Kohli M, Nichols BE. Cost-effectiveness of diagnostic tools and strategies for the screening and diagnosis of tuberculosis disease and infection: a scoping review. BMJ Public Health. 2024 Jun; 2(1):e000276.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40018193; PMCID: PMC11816851; DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000276;
     
  8. Xiong Y, Millones AK, Farroñay S, Torres I, Acosta D, Jordan DR, Jimenez J, Wippel C, Jenkins HE, Lecca L, Yuen CM. Impact of the private sector on spatial accessibility to chest radiography services in Lima, Peru. IJTLD Open. 2024 Mar 01; 1(3):144-146. PMID: 38698907; PMCID: PMC11065097; DOI: 10.5588/ijtldopen.23.0460;
     
  9. Yamkovoy K, Self JL, Jenkins HE, Horsburgh CR, White LF. Patterns of TB transmission in the United States, 2011-2017. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024 Mar 01; 28(3):154-156.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38454181; PMCID: PMC11044277; DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.23.0422;
     
  10. Leavitt SV, Rodriguez CA, Bouton TC, Horsburgh CR, Abel Zur Wiesch P, Nichols BE, White LF, Jenkins HE. Outcomes for people with TB by disease severity at presentation. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024 Mar 01; 28(3):142-147.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38454178; PMCID: PMC11075045; DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.23.0254;
     
Showing 10 of 88 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 87 publications over 21 distinct years, with a maximum of 11 publications in 2022 and 2024

YearPublications
20051
20061
20073
20082
20093
20102
20111
20122
20132
20145
20154
20166
20175
20185
20194
20206
20215
202211
20237
202411
20251


Polio vaccination rate for 2-year-olds is as low as 37% in parts of N.Y. county where paralysis case was found

NBC News 8/16/2022

Medical Campus Promotes 13 Faculty to Associate Professor

BU Today 7/30/2021

As most Mass. middle schools reopen fully for in-person learning, some feel like they’ve ‘time-warped into September’

The Boston Globe 4/27/2021

Opinion: Schools finally have the road map they need to fully reopen

The Washington Post 3/22/2021

A College Admissions Rat Race

The New York Times 2/24/2021

Is it safe to open schools? Yes, but ...

The Washington Post 2/17/2021

Public health experts at Harvard, BU weigh-in on CDC school reopening guidelines

Boston.com 2/16/2021

Opinion: The CDC’s latest demands will keep millions of kids out of school unnecessarily

The Washington Post 2/12/2021

C.D.C. Draws Up a Blueprint for Reopening Schools

The New York Times 2/12/2021

Schools face an uphill battle to reopen during the pandemic

Axios 1/23/2021

As America Engages With WHO Again, An Overwhelming Sense Of Relief And Hope

Forbes 1/20/2021

What Does a More Contagious Virus Mean for Schools?

The New York Times 1/14/2021

‘The end is in sight’: Experts express optimism about COVID-19 pandemic coming to a close

The Boston Globe 11/21/2020

Closing Schools Alone Is Not Going to Stop the Coronavirus

The New York Times 11/19/2020

Massachusetts is calling for a curfew to curb rising COVID-19 infections. Experts say it's probably not enough.

USA Today 11/6/2020

Charlie Baker’s order requiring face coverings at all times in public takes effect on Friday. Some disease experts say it goes too far.

Boston.com 11/5/2020

Troubling signs emerge that COVID-19 is tightening its hold on the state

The Boston Globe 11/1/2020

For Catholic schools, class is in session – and in person

CommonWealth Magazine 10/27/2020

Schoolchildren Seem Unlikely to Fuel Coronavirus Surges, Scientists Say

The New York Times 10/22/2020

As cases rise again, second thoughts on another lockdown

The Boston Globe 10/17/2020

COVID-19 Twice As Likely To Infect Teens Than Younger Kids

Refinery29 9/30/2020

The Coronavirus Mostly Spares Younger Children. Teens Aren’t So Lucky

The New York Times 9/28/2020

A Global Health Star Under Fire

The New York Times 9/12/2020

A Parent’s Toughest Call: In-Person Schooling or Not?

The New York Times 9/1/2020

Schools Have No Good Options for Reopening during COVID-19

Scientific American 8/20/2020

Doctors uneasy about uptick in state coronavirus cases

The Boston Globe 7/27/2020

What Is It That Keeps Most Little Kids From Getting Covid-19?

The New York Times 7/20/2020

Schools or bars? Opening classrooms may mean hard choices

Associated Press 7/9/2020

Coronavirus Cases Show No Sign of Slowing in Worst-Hit U.S., Brazil and India

Time Magazine 7/9/2020

No one wants to go back to lockdown. Is there a middle ground for containing Covid-19?

STAT 7/1/2020

There Is a Way to Reopen Schools This Fall. Do We Have the Wall to Make It Happen?

Slate 6/26/2020

This Is Far from Over: Why We Need to Learn to Live with COVID-19

Healthline 6/24/2020

Boston Protesters Urged to Get Free COVID-19 Testing

NBC Boston 6/10/2020

With reopening comes the threat of a second wave of COVID-19, scientists warn

The Boston Globe 5/25/2020

Women in science are battling both Covid-19 and the patriarchy

Times Higher Education 5/15/2020

Saving lives or saving the economy? Reopening doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition

The Boston Globe 5/14/2020

Disease modelers are warning us about reopening the country. Here’s why we should listen.

The Washington Post 5/14/2020

Sweden’s coronavirus gamble

CommonWealth Magazine 5/4/2020

“Sweden has zero lockdown and “is in no worse shape than Denmark or Norway,” which are in lockdown.

PolitiFact 4/28/2020

“Sweden Has Zero Lockdown” and “Is In No Worse Shape Than Denmark or Norway,” Which are in Lockdown.

Polifact 4/28/2020

Coronavirus in Africa: what happens next?

The Guardian 4/8/2020

The Mathematics of Predicting the Course of the Coronavirus

WIRED 3/30/2020

You Can Help Break the Chain of Transmission

The New York Times 3/19/2020
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