Acting Assistant Professor, Global Health, University of Washington
Dr. Sarah Benki-Nugent, MS, PhD, received her PhD (Microbiology) and MS (Epidemiology) from the University of Washington. She has been involved in HIV research in Kenya since 2000. Her research objective is to define best practices for optimizing growth and development in children in resource poor settings, particularly children affected by HIV, malnutrition and environmental toxins. She is funded by an NIH/NINDS K01 Award to whether antiretroviral therapy, if provided during infancy, is sufficient to protect long-term neurodevelopment in HIV-infected children, and will evaluate mechanisms of neuropathogenesis in the context of early antiretroviral treatment. Her CFAR New Investigator Award project will evaluate neurocognitive outcomes in older long-term treated HIV-infected children. Her other projects involve piloting a low-cost, potentially scale-able approach for measuring infant motor, social and language skills in Kenya and determining exposure to environmental toxins in Kenyan children and subsequent impacts on their health and development.
Publications
- Neary, J, Njuguna, I, Wagner, AD, Richardson, BA, Chebet, D, Langat, A et al.. Brief Report: Group-Based Trajectory Modeling to Determine Long-Term HIV Viral Load Trends Among Children With HIV in Kenya. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2024;96 (4):311-317. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003439. PubMed PMID:39287566 PubMed Central PMC11408750.
- Neary, J, Chebet, D, Benki-Nugent, S, Moraa, H, Richardson, BA, Njuguna, I et al.. Association between HIV and cytomegalovirus and neurocognitive outcomes among children with HIV. AIDS. 2024;38 (14):1972-1977. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000004000. PubMed PMID:39206927 PubMed Central PMC11524778.
- Njuguna, IN, King'e, M, Moraa, H, Kumar, M, Benki-Nugent, S, Wagner, AD et al.. Cohort profile: longitudinal and population comparison of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected and children who are HIV unexposed in Kenya (HOPE study). BMJ Open. 2024;14 (6):e081975. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081975. PubMed PMID:38844397 PubMed Central PMC11163661.
- Lumumba, EA, Riederer, AM, Onyatta, JO, Benki-Nugent, S, Karr, CJ, Were, FH et al.. Maternal and Umbilical Cord Blood Lead Levels in Selected Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2024;132 (3):37704. doi: 10.1289/EHP13567. PubMed PMID:38536883 PubMed Central PMC10970993.
- Ndegwa, S, Pavlik, M, Gallagher, ER, King'e, M, Bocha, M, Mokoh, LW et al.. Hearing Loss Detection and Early Intervention Strategies in Kenya. Ann Glob Health. 2024;90 (1):10. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4336. PubMed PMID:38344005 PubMed Central PMC10854416.