Research in the Ariel Green Lab focuses on informing and improving decisions surrounding the use of invasive medical technologies for older adults with complex medical diseases. Our long-term goals are to conduct epidemiologic research, create public health initiatives, and help shape policies that improve the lives of older adults.

The Anna Durbin Lab evaluates experimental vaccines through human clinical trials. We have conducted both pediatric and adult clinical trials on vaccines for HIV, hepatitis C, HPV, influenza, malaria, dengue virus, rotavirus and other viruses. We also have a longstanding interest in better understanding the immunologic factors of dengue infection and disease. We’re working to identify the viral, host and immunologic factors that cause severe dengue illness.

Research in the Alison E. Turnbull Lab focuses on patient-clinician interactions. We study decision-making processes for ICU patients and their families and focus on the long-term outcomes of ICU survivors. Additional research examines ways to improve end-of-life care for patients.

Research in the Jeanne Clark Lab covers a wide range of fields, employing various research techniques, methods and procedures to generate and disseminate the knowledge required to prevent disease and its consequences. Our most recent research program, Look AHEAD, focuses on the health of overweight volunteers with type 2 diabetes. We are examining the long-term effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention program designed to achieve and maintain weight loss by decreased caloric intake and increased physical activity.

Work in the Cynthia Sears Laboratory focuses on the bacterial contributions to the development of human colon cancer and the impact of the microbiome on other cancers and the therapy of cancer. The current work involves mouse and human studies to define how enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis, pks+ Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum, biofilms and the colonic microbiota induce chronic colonic inflammation and colon cancer. Prospective human studies of the microbiome and biofilms in screening colonoscopy are in progress as are studies to determine if and how the microbiome impacts the response of individuals with cancer to immunotherapy and other cancer therapies.

Research in the Caleb Alexander Lab examines prescription drug use. This includes studies of population-based patterns and determinants of pharmaceutical use, clinical decision-making about prescription drugs, and the effect of changes in regulatory and payment policies on pharmaceutical utilization. We have special expertise in conducting survey-based studies and analyzing secondary data sources, including administrative claims, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

The Bryan Lau Lab is interested in epidemiological and statistical methods for cohort studies and the application of these methods primarily to HIV cohort studies. We’re particularly interested in developing new methods and using approaches from other disciplines as novel solutions to specific epidemiologic issues.

The research mission of the Zackary Berger Lab is to bridge evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making in the context of patient-centered care. Lab studies investigate how to accomplish this in the common case of uncertainty, while seeking to clarify the ethics of decision-making and empirically describe how shared decision-making is and should be done. Zackary Berger, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In addition to his work as an internist and primary care physician, Dr. Berger is an associate faculty member in the Berman Institute of Bioethics, and core faculty in the Evidence Based Practice Center as well as the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research.

The Lisa Cooper Lab is dedicated to researching patient-centered interventions for improving health outcomes and overcoming racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Our primary focus is on the factors of physician communication skills and cultural competence training, patient shared decision-making and self-management skills training. Recently, we have explored patient-centered depression care for African Americans, tactics for improving patient-physician communication about management of hypertension, and reducing ethnic and social disparities in health. In addition, we are currently researching racial disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes for patients living in Baltimore.

The Nae-Yuh Wang Lab concentrates on a wide range of multicenter studies and randomized controlled trials. Recent studies have focused on pediatric cochlear implantation and longitudinal data analysis. One recent study found that partnering with primary care providers to deliver weight loss programs may promote greater participant satisfaction and weight loss. Another active study is assessing the effectiveness of promising interventions to reduce race disparities in live donor kidney transplantation.