Quantitative implementation science
Multicontinental modelling hub for quantitative implementation science
The Nichols lab is a multi-continental group of quantitative scientists and modelers focused on bridging the gap between traditional clinical science, epidemiology, health economics, mathematical modelling and actionable implementation. Through the development of novel quantitative methods and repurposing of existing methods, we design cost-effective and implemental interventions and programmes aimed at the reduction of transmission, morbidity, and mortality of infectious diseases. Using these novel methodologic approaches, the Nichols lab has successfully guided and advised on national and international policy related to HIV (pre-exposure prophylaxis, HIV self-testing, differentiated service delivery, viral load monitoring), tuberculosis (diagnostics, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis treatment regimens), and SARS-CoV-2 (diagnostic testing algorithms).
The guiding mission of the Nichols lab is to further develop the field of quantitative implementation science that provides policy makers with implementable insights that can be used to ensure scarce global healthcare resources are effectively used to maximize population health.
Research team
Brooke E. Nichols, PhD
Brooke Nichols (1987) is jointly appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Microbiology, AMC and at the Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health. She has done her Ph.D. research (2011-2015) at the Erasmus MC in the Department of Viroscience, lab of Prof.dr. Charles Boucher, in the mathematical modeling and cost-effectiveness of HIV treatment/prevention strategies. From 2016-2019, Dr. Nichols was resident at the Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO) in Johannesburg, South Africa, where her research focused at the interface between HIV/TB modeling, health economics and health policy/implementation in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. She was appointed to the faculty of Boston University in 2019, and since 2020 has expanded her work to include SARS-CoV-2, currently chairing the global Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator’s diagnostic modeling consortium aimed at improving the impact and efficiency of rapid antigen testing strategies for SARS-CoV-2.
- Mariet Benade, MD; research fellow (BU), is working across multiple projects, currently focused on diagnostic network optimization
- Joshua Chevalier; research assistant (BU), is focused on furthering global SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing policyhier content
- Sarah Girdwood; PhD student (AMC), is optimizing diagnostic networks for rapid HIV/TB/SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic programme scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa
- Santhi Hariprasad; DrPH student (BU), is using a mixed methods approach to improve linkage to HIV care for men in Malawi
- Cheryl Hendrickson; PhD student (AMC), is evaluating the effectiveness and costs of routine pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in Zambia and South Africa
- Lise Jamieson; PhD student (AMC), is working on HIV mathematical modelling and health economics of strategies to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 by 2025 goals
- Reese (Karla Therese L) Sy; PhD student (BU), is assessing transmission dynamics and modelling effectiveness of mitigation strategies for SARS-CoV-2
- Sy KTL, White LF, Nichols BE. Population density and basic reproductive number of COVID-19 across United States counties. PLoS One. In Press.
- Nichols BE, Cele R, Lekodeba N, Tukei B, Ngorima-Mabhena N, Tiam A, Maotoe T, Sejana MV, Faturiyele I, Chasela C, Rosen S, Fatti G. Economic evaluation of a cluster randomized trial of differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in Lesotho: costs to providers and patients. JIAS. In Press.
- Rashid A, Sy KTL, CabrejasJM, Nichols BE, Bhadelia N, Murray EJ. A clinician’s primer on epidemiology for COVID-19. Med. 2021 Feb 27
- Jo Y, Jamieson L, Edoka I, Long LC, Silal S, Pulliam JRC, Moultrie H, Sanne I, Meyer-Rath G, Nichols BE. Cost-effectiveness of remdesivir and dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment in South Africa. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 2021 Jan 29.
- Nichols K*, Girdwood SJ*, Inglis A, Ondoa P, Sy KTL, Benade M, Tusiime AB, Kao K, Carmona S, Albert H**, Nichols BE**. Bringing data analytics to the design of optimized diagnostic networks in low- and middle-income countries: process, terms and definitions. Diagnostics. 2021. 11(1), 22.
- Nichols BE, Cele R*, Jamieson L*, Long L, Siwale Z, Banda P, Moyo C, Rosen S. Community-based service delivery of HIV treatment in Zambia: costs and outcomes. AIDS. 2021 Feb 2; 35(2): 229-306.
- Brooke Nichols received a grant from FIND (Foundation for New Innovative Diagnostics) on diagnostic network optimization across five countries (for combinations of HIV, TB, SARS-CoV-2), and the modelling and refinement of SARS-CoV-2 testing use cases.
- Sarah Girdwood (PhD student) presented a Science Spotlight presentation at the conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections (CROI) 2021 on the cost-effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing in low-resource settings.
- Lise Jamieson (PhD student) presented the impact of long-acting injectable versus oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention to the South African National Essential Medicines List Committee and to the South African National Department of Health HIV Prevention Workshop.
Email: b.e.nichols@amsterdamumc.nl