Assistant Professor
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Temple University College of Public Health
My research focuses on using seroepidemiology, spatial analysis, and disease modeling to better understand infectious disease burden even when we don't have perfect surveillance data.
We estimated that, on average, one in three people with diarrheal symptoms seek care at hospitals or clinics, where they can be captured by surveillance systems and receive treatment if needed. This proportion varies widely across settings.
We estimated that about half of clinically suspected cholera cases are true V. cholerae infections, after accounting for study methods and imperfect diagnostic tests. This proportion also varies widely across epidemiological settings.
I led the analysis for a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey conducted by the Ministry of Health and WHO in Juba, South Sudan, finding high seroprevalence and the need to validate serological tests in mild infections and in local populations.
By examining changes in schooling behavior, vaccination, and household COVID-19 risk during spring semester 2021 in the U.S., we found that vaccination and layered mitigation measures in schools are essential for reducing COVID-19 risk.
I led a comprehensive analysis of serum correlates of protection against V. cholerae infection and symptoms, identifying many novel correlates among cohorts in Bangladesh and the U.S., none of which were associated with complete protection.
As the primary modeler for this project, I estimated childhood diarrhea burden in low- and middle-income countries using survey data and covariates related to child and environmental health in geostatistical models .
I led work that compared patterns in diarrhea mortality and treatment with oral rehydration salts (ORS), identifying vulnerable locations in countries such as Colombia where diarrhea mortality is high and ORS coverage is low.
Email me at kirsten.wiens@temple.edu
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