Center for Global Health | Faculty

picture of Heena Brahmbhatt Heena Brahmbhatt

Assistant Professor

Academic Degrees

MPH & PhD, Johns Hopkins

School/Organization
Bloomberg School of Public Health

Department / Division
Population, Family and Reproductive Health

Departmental Address
614 N. Wolfe Street, Room E4142
Baltimore, MD 21205

Email: hbrahmbh@jhsph.edu
Phone: 443-287-4928
Fax: 410-614-7386

Research and Professional Experience

Dr. Brahmbhatt’s, research interests in Rakai Uganda where she has worked for 10 years are: examining risk factors for mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) and child mortality; association of household structure (polygyny), HIV status and child mortality; long-term trajectory of survival of infants born to HIV+ mothers compared to HIV- mothers; examining the association of co-infection of HIV and placental malaria on MTCT and birth outcomes; the role of breastfeeding mother-to-child transmission of HIV and better ways to estimate that risk and inform current debate on breastfeeding policy for HIV-positive mothers; examining the association of infections during pregnancy such as STDs, HIV and malaria with pregnancy and child health outcomes; and a longitudinal study examining the impact of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy on the long term trajectory of childhood outcomes such as morbidity, mortality, growth and development, nutrition and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Her current research is focusing on assessing the impact of HIV infection and ART use on pregnancy, fertility intentions, pregnancy outcomes and contraceptive use; assessing the impact of timing of ART initiation on morbidity, mortality and neurodevelopment among children 0 to 2 years of age; and a study assessing the impact of ART duration on disability among children infected and affected by HIV in Rakai, Uganda.
Her work in Ethiopia is focused on evaluating the integration of family planning services into existing voluntary counseling and testing HIV centers and assessing the impact of this integration of services on contraceptive use rates, high risk behaviors and knowledge and attitudes about HIV and STI prevention. Dr. Brahmbhatt’s work in Asia has focused on a prospective study of drug users in Delhi, India where effectiveness of a three component injecting drug use intervention (risk reduction and health stabilization, HIV-VCT and STI diagnosis and treatment, drug treatment with oral Buprenorphine) is being evaluated; evaluating Pakistani and Afghani drug use patterns among injecting drug users in Pakistan after the US-Afghan war; a study in north eastern China assessing the impact of forced migration on sexual and reproductive health of north Korean women living as a hidden population in China.

Keywords

Population and Family Health Sciences, Reproductive Health, HIV, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, placental malaria, malaria, child survival, child mortality, breastfeeding, harm reduction for IDUs

Honors and Awards

Phi Beta Kappa Delta Omega Honor Society Paul A. & C. Esther Harper Award in PFHS Fogarty Young Researcher Award Edward J. Dehne Award 2000 & 2001

Research Projects
Association of Malaria and HIV-1 RNA in Blood of Adults in Rakai, Uganda
Malaria and HIV are among the most prevalent infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and co-infections are common. HIV-associated immunosuppression increases the prevalence and severity of malaria and malaria is in turn associated with an increase in viral load in pregnant women. Malaria and...

Morbidity/Mortality And Disability In Children Study
The 4 year longitudinal study Morbidity, Mortality and Disability in Children study in Uganda will assess the health impact of HIV/AIDS on infected and uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers. The overall objective is to assess the direct and indirect effects of maternal HIV infection on...

Voluntary HIV Testing And Counseling Integrated With Contraceptive Services Study In Ethiopia (Vics Study)
The Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Integrated with Contraceptive Services Study (VICS) will evaluate the addition of family planning services to voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) programs in terms of fulfilling existing demand for contraception among VCT attendees. Through pre- and...

Selected Publications

Brahmbhatt, H., Kigozi, G., Serwadda, D., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Sewankambo, N., Wawer, M., Gray, R. Is the Risk of Mother-To-Child HIV Transmission Higher Among Female Compared with Male Infants? A Case of Rakai, Uganda. 2009. JPID. 4(3)
Kagaayi J, Gray RH, Brahmbhatt H, Kigozi G, Nalugoda F, et al. (2008) Survival of Infants Born to HIV-Positive Mothers, by Feeding Modality, in Rakai, Uganda. December, 9, 2008. PLoS ONE 3(12): e3877
Brahmbhatt, H., Sullivan, D., Kigozi, G., Askin, F., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Serwadda, D., Sewankambo, N., Wawer, M., Gray, R. Association of HIV and Placental and Peripheral Malaria with Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission. 2008. JAIDS: 1;47(4): 472-6
Brahmbhatt, H., Kigozi, G., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Serwadda, D., Lutalo, T., Nalugoda, F., Sewankambo, N., Kiduggavu, M., Wawer, M.J., Gray, R. Mortality in HIV infected and uninfected mothers in rural Uganda. 2006 JAIDS. 41(4): 504-508
Haque, N., Zafar, T., Brahmbhatt, H., Imam, G., ul Hassan, S., Strathdee, S.A. High risk sexual behaviors among drug users in Pakistan: implications for prevention of STDs and HIV/AIDS. 2006. J. Pakistan Medical Association. 56(1 Suppl 1): S65-72
Brahmbhatt, H. Perinatal Health. In: The Encyclopedia Reference of Public Health. Kirch, W (editor). Springer Press. 2009 (in press)
Bradley, H., Brahmbhatt, H., Bedada, A., Kidanu, A., Gillespie, D., Tsui, A. HIV and Family Planning Service Integration and VCT Composition in Ethiopia. 2008. AIDS Care. Jan;20(1):61-71
Bradley, H., Bedada, A., Brahmbhatt, H., Kidanu, A., Gillespie, D., Tsui, A. Educational attainment and HIV status among Ethiopian Voluntary Counseling and Testing clients. 2006. AIDS and Behavior.
Marston, M., Zaba, B., Salomon, J., Brahmbhatt, H., Bagenda, D. Estimating the net effect of HIV on child mortality in African populations affected by generalized HIV epidemics. 2005 JAIDS 38(2): 219-227
Newell, ML, Brahmbhatt, H., Ghys, P.D. Child Mortality and HIV Infection in Africa: a review. 2004. AIDS. 18(suppl 2):S27-S34
Brahmbhatt, H., Gray, R. In the HIV-era, is breast always best? 2004. AIDS 18(6): 964-965
Brahmbhatt, H., Kigozi, G., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Serwadda, D., Sewankambo, N., Lutalo, T., Wawer, M.J., Abramowsky, C., Sullivan, D., Gray, R. The effects of placental malaria on mother-to-child HIV transmission in Rakai, Uganda. AID. 17(17): 2539-2541 (AIDS) Study summarized in: Science, Nov 10th, 2003 (Science), Environmental Health Perspectives, April 2004, 112(5): A275, and highlighted in Lancet, Nov 15th 2003, 362(9396): 1637 and BBC world News (BBC)
Brahmbhatt, H. Gray, R. In the HIV-era, is breast always best? 2004. AIDS 18(6): 964-965
Brahmbhatt, H., Gray, R.H. Child mortality associated with reasons for non-initiation of breastfeeding and weaning: is breastfeeding best for HIV-positive mothers? 2003 AIDS . 17; 879-885 (AIDS)
Kigozi, G., Brahmbhatt, H., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Wawer, M.J., Serwadda, D., Sewankambo, N., Gray, R.H. Treatment of Trichomonas in pregnancy and adverse outcomes of pregnancy: A sub-analyses of a randomized trial in Rakai, Uganda. 2003. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 189:1398-400
Bishai, D., Suliman, E.D., Brahmbhatt, H., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Kigozi, G., Sewankambo, N., Serwadda, D., Wawer, M., Gray, R. Does biological relatedness affect child survival? 2003. Demographic Research. 8(9): 262-278 (Demographic Research)
Zafar, T., Brahmbhatt, H., Imam, G., ul Hassan, S., Strathdee, S.A. HIV knowledge and risk behaviors among Pakistani and Afghani drug users in Quetta, Pakistan. 2003 JAIDS 32(4): 394-398 (JAIDS)
Ahmed, M.A., Zafar, T., Brahmbhatt, H., Imam, G., ul Hassan, S., Strathdee, S.A. HIV/AIDS Risk behaviors and correlates of injecting drug use among drug users in Pakistan. 2003. Journal of Urban Health. 80: 330-348
Strathdee, S.A., Zafar, T., Brahmbhatt, H., Baksh, A., ul Hassan, S., Higher levels of needle sharing among injecting drug users in Pakistan during the Afghan war. 2003. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 71:17-24
Haque, N., Zafar, T., Brahmbhatt, H., Imam, G., ul Hassan, S., Strathdee, S.A. High risk sexual behaviors among drug users in Pakistan: implications for prevention of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. International Journal for STD and AIDS. (in press)
UNAIDS Reference Group. Improved methods and assumptions for estimation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact. Recommendations of the UNAIDS reference group on estimates, modeling and projections. 2002. AIDS.16:W1-W14 ( AIDS)
Brahmbhatt, H., Bishai, D., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Kigozi, G., Wawer. M.J., The Rakai Project Group, Wawer. M.J., Gray, R.H. Polygyny, maternal HIV status, and child survival; Rakai, Uganda. 2002. Social Science and Medicine. 55(4): 585-592 (Soc.Sci.& Med.)
Brahmbhatt, H., Gray, R. Breastfeeding and the prevention of infant mortality. The Lancet. 355: 1370, April 2000.
Brahmbhatt, H., Bigg, D., Strathdee, S.A. Characteristics and utilization patterns of needle exchange attendees in Chicago: 1994-1998. Journal of Urban Health. 2000; 77: 346-358
Marx MA, Brahmbhatt H, Beilenson P, Brookmeyer RS, Strathdee SA, Alexander C, Vlahov D. Impact of Needle Exchange Programs on Adolescent Perceptions about Illicit Drug Use. AIDS and Behavior: 2001; 5 (4): 379-386.
Sewankambo, N.K., Gray, R.H., Ahmad, S., Serwadda, D., Wabwire-Mangen, F., Nalugoda, F., Kiwanuka, N., Lutalo, T., Kigozi, G., Li, C., Meehan, M.P., Brahmbhatt, H., Wawer. M.J. Mortality Associated with HIV Infection in Rural Rakai District, Uganda. AIDS. 2000; 14(15): 2391-2400 (AIDS)
Shrestha, S., Strathdee, S.A., Brahmbhatt, H., Farzadegan, H., Vlahov, D., Smith, M.W. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) methodology for genotypic identification of single-person verses multi-person use of syringes. AIDS. 2000; 14(11): 1507-1513 (AIDS)