Assistant Professor, Global Health
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Dr. Patricia Pavlinac, MS, PhD, is an epidemiologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. Dr. Pavlinac also co-directs the Gut Health and Child Survival scientific priority area of the Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents and Children (Global WACh). Her research aims to identify interventions to halt morbidity and mortality attributed to enteric infectious diseases in children. Dr. Pavlinac has extensive experience coordinating pediatric studies in Kenya including her current role as Project Director of two clinical trials testing whether empiric use of a broad-spectrum antibiotic improves post-acute survival and growth in Kenyan children. These trials build on evidence that Kenyan children suffer an elevated risk of mortality and chronic malnutrition after acute infectious illnesses that may be due to inadequately treated or new exposure to bacterial pathogens. Nested in these trials, her team is also evaluating the impact of azithromycin on antimicrobial resistance to provide policy-makers with a balanced perspective on the costs and benefits of empiric azithromycin use.
Publications
- Yousafzai, MT, Cornick, J, Penataro Yori, P, Hossain, MJ, Keita, AM, Atlas, HE et al.. The incidence and antimicrobial resistance of Shigella-attributable diarrhoea in young children in low-income and middle-income countries from the multicountry Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study: a prospective, facility-based hybrid surveillance study. Lancet Glob Health. 2026; :. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(25)00534-0. PubMed PMID:41831467 .
- Bhuiyan, MTR, Liu, J, Juma, J, Horne, B, Hotwani, A, Badji, H et al.. Optimizing Shigella isolation: a multi-site evaluation of laboratory culture methods for Shigella detection, speciation, and serotyping with different transport media and sample types in the Enterics for Global Health study. J Clin Microbiol. 2026; :e0127925. doi: 10.1128/jcm.01279-25. PubMed PMID:41746130 .
- Ogwel, B, Nyawanda, BO, Onyando, BO, Awuor, AO, Okonji, C, Anyango, RO et al.. Temporal patterns and risk factors of diarrheal comorbidity among children aged < 5 years in rural western Kenya: Evidence from three consecutive enteric studies, 2008-2024. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026;6 (2):e0005532. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0005532. PubMed PMID:41686851 PubMed Central PMC12904429.
- Libby, TE, Karani, A, Tickell, KD, Akech, D, Singa, B, Rwigi, D et al.. The effect of a 5-day course of azithromycin on Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and antimicrobial resistance among Kenyan children discharged from hospital. J Infect Dis. 2026; :. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiag028. PubMed PMID:41542944 PubMed Central PMC12927617.
- Schiaffino, F, Parker, CT, Romaina Cachique, L, Garcia Bardales, PF, Liu, J, Peñataro Yori, P et al.. Robust Performance of Culture, qPCR, and Genomic Approaches for Shigella Serotyping in a Pediatric Surveillance Cohort. medRxiv. 2026; :. doi: 10.64898/2026.01.05.26343460. PubMed PMID:41542695 PubMed Central PMC12803388.