Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH

Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences

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Overview

From 1998-2009 Dr. Klausner was a Deputy Health Officer, Director of STD Prevention and Control Services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, member of the UCSF School of Medicine faculty in the Divisions of AIDS and Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at San Francisco General Hospital. While in San Francisco Dr. Klausner helped identify key factors associated with the increased spread of HIV and STDs and implemented multiple novel public health prevention programs. He helped create the St. James Infirmary, the first occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and Magnet, a community-based peer-run sexual health clinic for gay men.
From 2009-2011 Dr. Klausner was Branch Chief for HIV and TB at the Centers for Disease Control in Pretoria, South Africa, helping lead the South African PEPFAR program for care and treatment.

After returning from South Africa, from 2011-2021. Klausner was a senior faculty member in the UCLA Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine and the Department of Epidemiology at the Fielding School of Public health. At UCLA, Dr. Klausner was the Principal Investigator for multiple NIH-funded networks, projects and studies on sexually transmitted infections in Peru, Botswana, South Africa, Vietnam, Haiti, Pakistan and India antimicrobial resistance and HIV prevention.

Dr. Klausner’s research interests are in applied epidemiology and the prevention and control of infectious diseases of public health importance like HIV, STDs, TB, COVID-19 and cryptococcal infections. Dr. Klausner has a particular interest in the use of technology—information, digital, and laboratory—to facilitate access to treatment for disadvantaged populations. Dr. Klausner has been funded by the NIH, CDC, private pharmaceutical and test manufacturers to study the benefits of new ways to find and treat infectious diseases. Dr. Klausner is a frequent advisor to the CDC, NIH and WHO and a popular public speaker. Dr. Klausner is a highly sought after mentor who has trained dozens of fellows, residents and students of medicine and public health.

Awards

  • American STD Association: Young Investigator Award, 2001
     – 2001
  • Beyond AIDS: Nettie Award, 2008
     – 2008
  • Centers for Disease Control: Jack N. Spencer Award, 2016
     – 2016

Education and Training

  • Cornell University, Ithaca, NY — AB — 05/1986 — Chemistry and Art History
  • Cornell University Medicall College, New York City — MD — 05/1991 — Medicine
  • NYU-Bellevue Hospital, New York City — 06/1994 — Internal Medicine
  • Harvard University, Cambridge, MA — MPH — 05/1995 — Epidemiology and International Health
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA — 06/1997 — Epidemic Intelligence Service
  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA — Fellow — 06/1998 — Infectious Diseases

Research Funding

  • STIs and Pre-Term Birth
    NIH · R03AI199976 · Jul 15, 2026 – Jun 30, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • V-STAR – Vietnam Research Training Program on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance
    NIH · D43TW012743 · Jul 16, 2025 – Mar 31, 2030 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pilot study of linezolid for early syphilis treatment
    NIH · R21AI173988 · Nov 22, 2022 – Oct 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Evaluating STI screening and antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae among PrEP users in Vietnam
    NIH · R21AI157817 · Feb 5, 2021 – Jan 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Clinical Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Cefixime Versus Penicillin G for Treatment of Early Syphilis
    NIH · R01AI155217 · Jul 13, 2020 – Jul 31, 2027 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • The diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pregnant women to prevent adverse neonatal consequences
    NIH · R21HD100821 · Feb 22, 2020 – Jan 31, 2022 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Clinical Study of STI Screening to Prevent Adverse Birth and Newborn Outcomes
    NIH · R01AI149339 · Jan 7, 2020 – Dec 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Syphilis Immunology and Biology to Improve Clinical Management and Vaccine Design
    NIH · R01AI139265 · Sep 1, 2018 – Oct 31, 2028 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Reducing excess broad-spectrum antibiotic use in gonorrhea
    NIH · R21AI117256 · Apr 19, 2016 – Mar 31, 2019 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Pilot Study of STI Screening and Treatment for PMTCT
    NIH · R21HD084274 · Sep 23, 2015 – Jul 31, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Controlling Drug Resistant Gonorrhea with Real-Time PCR Susceptibility Testing
    NIH · R21AI109005 · Aug 15, 2014 – Jan 31, 2017 · Role: Principal Investigator

Publications

  • Preliminary clinical performance of a Cas13a-based lateral flow assay for detecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae in urine specimens. mSphere. 2025 01 28; 10(1):e0067724.. View in PubMed
  • Change in depression and anxiety symptoms among university students, staff, and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic: Trojan pandemic response initiative. J Am Coll Health. 2025 04; 73(4):1787-1797.. View in PubMed
  • Laboratory evaluation of oral fluid for syphilis screening among clinic users from Lima, Peru. Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Jan 07; 13(1):e0129824.. View in PubMed
  • Preferences and Acceptability of Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections in an HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Clinic in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 04 01; 52(4):242-247.. View in PubMed
  • Antimicrobial susceptibilities of oral Neisseria from men on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Hanoi, Vietnam. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2025 01; 40:11-14.. View in PubMed
  • Antenatal Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections to Improve Maternal and Newborn Outcomes: An Update From 11 Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 03 01; 52(3):141-145.. View in PubMed
  • Synergistic pairing of synthetic image generation with disease classification modeling permits rapid digital classification tool development. Sci Rep. 2024 10 27; 14(1):25632.. View in PubMed
  • Group Sex and Behavior Change Associated With the 2022 Mpox Outbreak Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Southern California. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 01 01; 52(1):55-58.. View in PubMed
  • Absence of Lymphogranuloma Venereum Among Men Who Have Sex With Men With Rectal Chlamydia trachomatis Infections Within an HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Program in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sex Transm Dis. 2024 12 01; 51(12):845-846.. View in PubMed
  • Clinical Studies Are Needed to Determine the Efficacy of Ceftriaxone and Other Interventions in Addressing Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 01 01; 52(1):e1.. View in PubMed