Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Infectious Diseases

MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
MPH, Harvard School of Public Health
BS, Yale University



Dr. Karen Jacobson is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Diseases, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Jacobson’s research focuses on the epidemiology of tuberculosis, including identification of biological and social determinants of and risk factors for tuberculosis infection and disease (including drug resistant tuberculosis) and approaches for improving tuberculosis outcomes in resource-limited settings. Dr. Jacobson is the Medical Director of the Boston Medical Center Tuberculosis Clinic and has established a highly productive collaboration with researchers in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work has particular emphasis in understanding how substance use impacts on tuberculosis transmission and response to therapy.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

I am an infectious disease physician and researcher committed to improving health outcomes for historically underrepresented populations in resource-limited high-burden settings and in our BMC community around Boston.

As a clinician, I serve as the Medical Director of the BMC Tuberculosis (TB) Clinic where I guide and provide direct patient care for a population primarily made up of recent immigrants from many parts of the world. I am part of a group of clinicians committed to offering and
developing standard operating procedures for cutting edge regimens and offering this to all who come for care.

As a researcher, my work focuses on the epidemiology of TB, including identification of biological and social determinants of and risk factors for TB infection and disease and approaches for improving TB outcomes in resource-limited, high-burden settings. Through two ongoing studies based in Worcester, South Africa, my team’s research has been able to investigate the interplay between illicit smoked substances and TB transmission and alcohol use and TB treatment outcomes, focusing on two key populations who are vulnerable to stigma and marginalization. I aim to treat our participants with respect and inclusion and to learn from them as partners.

My commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility is visible through my interest in training and mentoring new investigators in our BU/BMC community, including helping trainees and junior faculty identify their own niches and grow a diverse workforce committed to focusing on research that will improve healthcare outcomes and equity.

Associate Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research




Assessing the effects of HIV disease on TB and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a TB patient cohort in Western Cape Province, South Africa
01/01/2021 - 12/31/2021 (Key Person / Mentor)
Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research NIH NIAID



Using care coordination to support vulnerable patients with risk of Tuberculosis Disease RENEWAL
07/01/2024 - 06/30/2027 (PI)
Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health / DPH

Using care coordination to support vulnerable patients with risk of Tuberculosis Disease
10/01/2023 - 06/30/2027 (PI)
Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health / DPH

An RNA nanosensor for the diagnosis of antibiotic resistance in M. tuberculosis
09/13/2023 - 08/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School NIH NIAID
1R01AI176498-01

Investigating bacterial contributions to TB treatment response: a focus on in-host pathogen dynamics
09/22/2020 - 08/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School NIH NIAID

Administrative Supplement to Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL)
08/01/2023 - 07/31/2025 (PI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH/DHHS
5R01AI147316-05

Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL)
08/01/2019 - 07/31/2025 (PI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH/DHHS
1R01AI147316-01

Core L - The Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) competitive renewal
07/01/2023 - 06/30/2025 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
The Miriam Hospital NIH NIAID

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

MassCPR COVID biorepository work
10/01/2021 - 12/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School China Evergrande Gr

An RNA Based Phenotypic Assay for the Diagnosis of Antibiotic Resistance in M. Tuberculosis
09/13/2023 - 09/12/2024 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Karen R. Jacobson, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School NIH NIAID
1R01AI176498-01

Showing 10 of 23 results. Show All Results

Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL) 5R01AI147316-05
2022 Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL) 5R01AI147316-04
2022 SWG1: HIV/TB Scientific Working Group 5P30AI042853-24-7401
2021 Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL) 5R01AI147316-03
2021 SWG1: HIV/TB Scientific Working Group 5P30AI042853-23-7401 905
2020 Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL) 5R01AI147316-02
2020 The impact of alcohol consumption on TB treatment outcomes 5R01AI119037-05 3
2020 SWG1: HIV/TB Scientific Working Group 5P30AI042853-22-7401 905
2019 Transmission Of Tuberculosis Among illicit drug use Linkages (TOTAL) 1R01AI147316-01
2019 The impact of alcohol consumption on TB treatment outcomes 5R01AI119037-04 3
Showing 10 of 21 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. 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
     
  2. Murnane PM, Afshar M, Chamie G, Cook RL, Ferguson T, Haque LY, Jacobson KR, Justice AC, Kim TW, Khalili M, Krupitsky E, McGinnis KA, Molina P, Muyindike WR, Myers B, Richards VL, So-Armah K, Stewart S, Sulkowski MS, Tien PC, Hahn JA. Using phosphatidylethanol as an adjunct to self-reported alcohol use improves identification of liver fibrosis risk. Am J Gastroenterol. 2024 Oct 31.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39480054
     
  3. Overbeck V, Malatesta S, Carney T, Myers B, Parry CDH, Horsburgh CR, Theron D, White LF, Warren RM, Jacobson KR, Bouton TC. Understanding the impact of pandemics on long-term medication adherence: directly observed therapy in a tuberculosis treatment cohort pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdowns. BMC Infect Dis. 2024 Oct 14; 24(1):1154.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39396938; PMCID: PMC11475609; DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09994-7;
     
  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. Ghanem M, Srivastava R, Ektefaie Y, Hoppes D, Rosenfeld G, Yaniv Z, Grinev A, Xu AY, Yang E, Velásquez GE, Harrison L, Rosenthal A, Savic RM, Jacobson KR, Farhat MR. Percent of lung involved in disease on chest X-ray predicts unfavorable treatment outcome in pulmonary tuberculosis. medRxiv. 2024 Aug 20. PMID: 39228708; PMCID: PMC11370523; DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.19.24311411;
     
  6. Kulkarni S, Weber SE, Buys C, Lambrechts T, Myers B, Drainoni ML, Jacobson KR, Theron D, Carney T. Patient and provider perceptions of the relationship between alcohol use and TB and readiness for treatment: a qualitative study in South Africa. BMC Public Health. 2024 Aug 14; 24(1):2216.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39143513; PMCID: PMC11325746; DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19570-y;
     
  7. Wijk M, Gausi K, Malatesta S, Weber SE, Court R, Myers B, Carney T, Parry CDH, Horsburgh CR, White LF, Wiesner L, Warren RM, Uren C, McIlleron H, Kloprogge F, Denti P, Jacobson KR. The impact of alcohol and illicit substance use on the pharmacokinetics of first-line TB drugs. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2024 Aug 01; 79(8):2022-2030.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38985541; PMCID: PMC11290884; DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae206;
     
  8. Savinkina A, Muyindike W, Hahn JA, Emenyonu NI, Fatch R, Ngabirano C, Adong J, Jacobson KR, Linas BP. Strategies for isoniazid preventive therapy in HIV-positive patients who consume alcohol. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024 Jul 01; 28(7):335-342.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38961548
     
  9. Farhat MR, Jacobson KR. For Tuberculosis, Not "To Screen or Not to Screen?" but "Who?" and "How?". Clin Infect Dis. 2024 Jun 14; 78(6):1677-1679. PMID: 38636953; PMCID: PMC11175681; DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae058;
     
  10. Marin MG, Wippel C, Quinones-Olvera N, Behruznia M, Jeffrey BM, Harris M, Mann BC, Rosenthal A, Jacobson KR, Warren RM, Li H, Meehan CJ, Farhat MR. Analysis of the limited M. tuberculosis accessory genome reveals potential pitfalls of pan-genome analysis approaches. bioRxiv. 2024 Mar 25. PMID: 38585972; PMCID: PMC10996470; DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586149;
     
Showing 10 of 83 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 83 publications over 16 distinct years, with a maximum of 13 publications in 2023

YearPublications
19992
20021
20101
20112
20122
20133
20152
20162
20173
20188
20195
20206
202112
202211
202313
202410
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

alcohol
drug resistant tuberculosis
global health
spatial mapping
tuberculosis

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
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Contact for Mentoring:

771 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
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