Karen Megazzini

Dr. Karen Megazzini is an epidemiologist and physician assistant with 20+ years of combined experience in public health and clinical trials research, project management, and clinical care involving pediatric and adult populations. She provides project leadership and epidemiologic support to many domestic and international studies and oversees several phase I through III clinical studies for which Westat provides external independent statistical support to data monitoring committees.

Dr. Megazzini is the project director for the Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) project, which supports development of population-based surveys in several African countries and in recent years, led a CDC-funded survey of acquired HIV drug resistance in Kenya and Tanzania.

Earlier in her career at Westat, Dr. Megazzini was based in Abuja, Nigeria, where she served as chief technical officer for an HIV prevention, care, and treatment program funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (also known as PEPFAR). She oversaw program implementation at approximately 20 clinical sites and provided technical leadership in HIV counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, services for orphaned and vulnerable children, and monitoring and evaluation.

Before joining Westat, Ms. Megazzini served as a research fellow and principal investigator for the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia. She designed and coordinated a cluster randomized clinical trial to determine the feasibility and success of providing rapid HIV testing in resource-limited, urban Zambian birthing centers.

Education

DrPH, International Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Master of International Health, Copenhagen University, Denmark

Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant Program, Emory University

BS, Biology, Framingham State