Elizabeth Anne Bukusi

Bukusi gained her general medical degree, followed by her Masters in obstetrics and gynaecology from the University of Nairobi.[1] She then went on to earn a certificate in international health, Masters in public health (MPH) and a PhD from the University of Washington's Department of Epidemiology.[1] Subsequent qualifications include a post-graduate diploma in Research Ethics from the University of Cape Town, then a Masters in Bioethics from the Sind Institute of Urology and Transplantation.[1]

Bukusi's Masters in Public Health, completed in 2000, studied the male factor in bacterial vaginosis in Kenya, and her PhD then continued this path of research with her thesis titled: 'Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized Trial to Reduce Recurrence'. In 2006 Bukusi was awarded her PhD, and published a paper in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 'Bacterial vaginosis: risk factors among Kenyan women and their male partners'.[6]

In 2010 Bukusi published 'Genital hygiene practices of fishermen targeted for a topical microbicide intervention against sexually transmitted infections in Kisumu, Kenya', within the International Journal of STD and AIDS.[7]

Bukusi's academic roles include chief research officer at KEMRI;[3] chair of the Bioethics Society of Kenya;[8] research professor at the University of Washington;[1] honorary lecturer at Aga Khan University;[9] and volunteer clinical faculty professor at the University of California San Francisco.[1] Other outstanding studies she has participated in include; Association between Mycoplasma genitalium and acute endometritis.[10] Bacterial vaginosis associated with increased risk of Female-to-Male HIV-1 transmission: A prospective cohort analysis among African couples.[11] HIV/AIDS stigma and refusal of HIV testing among pregnant women in rural Kenya: Results from the MAMAS study. This study found that anticipations of HIV/AIDS stigma can be barriers to acceptance of HIV testing by pregnant women.[12] HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for adolescent girls and young women in Africa: from efficacy trials to delivery. This article concluded that PrEP is feasible to implement in integrated reproductive health service delivery models to reach African AGYW.[13] Retention in care and patient-reported reasons for undocumented transfer or stopping care among HIV-infected patients on Antiretroviral therapy in Eastern Africa: application of a sampling-based approach.[14] Efficacy of isoniazid prophylactic therapy in prevention of tuberculosis in children: a meta–analysis.[15] Efficacy of single-dose human Papillomavirus vaccination among young African women.[16] Texting improves testing: a randomized trial of two-way SMS to increase postpartum prevention of mother-to-child transmission retention and infant HIV testing. This study established that text messaging significantly improved maternal postpartum visit attendance, but overall return rates for these visits remained low.[17] Efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV-1 prevention among high risk heterosexuals: subgroup analyses from the Partners PrEP Study. The study concluded that among higher-risk subgroups in the Partners PrEP Study, including groups solely of higher-risk women, both TDF alone and combined FTC/TDF PrEP had consistently high efficacy for HIV-1 protection.[18] Family model of HIV care and treatment: a retrospective study in Kenya.[19] Rethinking HIV prevention to prepare for oral PrEP implementation for young African women.[20] Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV prevention in heterosexual men and women.[21] HIV incidence among women using intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, a copper intrauterine device, or a levonorgestrel implant for contraception: a randomised, multicentre, open-label trial. This study did not find a substantial difference in HIV risk among the methods evaluated, and all methods were safe and highly effective.[22] Cervical cancer prevention and treatment research in Africa: a systematic review from a public health perspective.[23] and Integrated delivery of antiretroviral treatment and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis to HIV-1–Serodiscordant couples: A prospective implementation study in Kenya and Uganda.[24]