Biography

Edmund Shen is a third-year medical student at Harvard Medical School with a strong interest in infectious disease and health equity. Prior to starting his medical training, Edmund completed a double BA in Biology and Statistics-Economics at Columbia University, where he worked in translational and clinical settings to expand his skillset in both basic laboratory science and large-scale statistical analysis. Prior research affiliations include the Columbia Department of Microbiology and Immunology, CUIMC Division of Neurocritical Care, and Columbia Metacognition and Memory Lab. During medical school, Edmund has worked on multiple clinical projects evaluating anti-mycobacterial treatment ​in the US and abroad

Expertise

TB Diagnostics
Public Health

Key Impacts

Household transmission of TB from people with smear-negative

Smear-negative TB patients accounted for a quarter of within-household TB transmission in our study cohort. Risk factors for TST positivity among HHCs exposed to a smear negative patient included lower socioeconomic status and diabetes in the index patient. These findings highlight the need to consider smear-negative individuals in TB control strategies.

Source: Conference 2024