Dr. Kimberly Powers uses epidemiological, statistical and mathematical modeling methods to study HIV transmission, with the overarching goal of informing HIV prevention strategies. Her work focuses on improving understanding of the behavioral and biological determinants of HIV transmission, developing efficient methods for detecting acute HIV infection and using mathematical models to predict the impact of HIV transmission prevention interventions. Dr. Powers' ongoing projects aim to improve understanding of the HIV care continuum, inform measurement of HIV incidence and prevalence and predict the impact of HIV treatment-as-prevention strategies.

Honors and Awards

Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence

2011, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health

2010, University of Noerth Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health

Rebecca James Baker Memorial Scholarship

2010, University of North Carolina Department of Epidemiology

Cornoni-Huntley Scholarship

2008, University of North Carolina Department of Epidemiology

Kaplan Student Publication Award

2008, University of North Carolina Department of Epidemiology

Phi Beta Kappa

1998, Hamilton College

Summa cum laude

1998, Hamilton College

Representative Courses

EPID 799C: Advanced Methods in Infectious Disease Epidemiology

EPID 894: Infectious Disease Seminar

Research Activities

Infectious Disease Transmission
Mathematical Modeling
HIV Care Continuum
HIV Surveillance
Acute HIV Infection
HIV Prevention

Key Publications

Building on the HIV cascade: a complementary ‘HIV States and Transitions’ framework for describing HIV diagnosis, care, and treatment at the population level. Powers KA, Miller WC (2015). Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 69(3), 341-347.

Ongoing HIV Transmission and the HIV Care Continuum in North Carolina. Anna B. Cope, Kimberly A. Powers, JoAnn D. Kuruc, Peter A. Leone, Jeffrey A. Anderson, Li-Hua Ping, Laura P. Kincer, Ronald Swanstrom, Victoria L. Mobley, Evelyn Foust, Cynthia L. Gay, Joseph J. Eron, Myron S. Cohen and William C. Miller (2015). PloS one, 10(6), e0127950.

Community viral load as a measure for assessment of HIV treatment as prevention. William C Miller, Kimberly A Powers, M Kumi Smith, Myron S Cohen (2013). The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 13(5), 459-464.

The role of acute and early HIV infection in the spread of HIV and implications for transmission prevention strategies in Lilongwe, Malawi: A modelling study. Kimberly A Powers, Azra C Ghani, William C Miller, Irving F Hoffman, Audrey E Pettifor, Gift Kamanga, Francis Ea Martinson, Myron S Cohen (2011). The Lancet, 378(9787), 256-268.

Sexual partnership patterns in malawi: Implications for HIV/STI transmission. Kimberly A. Powers, Irving F. Hoffman, Azra C. Ghani, Mina C. Hosseinipour, Christopher D. Pilcher, Matthew A. Price, Audrey E. Pettifor, David A. Chilongozi, Francis E. A. Martinson, Myron S. Cohen, William C Miller (2011). Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 38(7), 657-666.

Education

Visiting Scholar, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Modeling, Imperial College London, 2010

PhD, Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2010

Visiting Scholar, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Modeling, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2007

MSPH, Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006

BA, Mathematics, Hamilton College, 1998