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

  • Empowering Women’s PrEP Choices: Qualitative Insights into Long-Acting PrEP Preferences and Decision-Making during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in South Africa and Botswana. AIDS Behav. 2026 Jan; 30(1):162-177.. View in PubMed
  • Doxycycline prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention in Vietnam: awareness, attitudes and willingness to use among men who have sex with men using HIV-PrEP. Sex Transm Infect. 2025 08 28; 101(6):367-373.. View in PubMed
  • Molecular Detection of Mutations in the penA and 23S rRNA Genes of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Related to Decreased Cephalosporin and Azithromycin Susceptibility in Rectal Specimens from Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Lima, Peru. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2025 Jul 28; 10(8).. View in PubMed
  • A Narrative Review of Urine-Based Human Papillomavirus Screening: Performance, Challenges, and Opportunities to Expand Access in the United States. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 12 01; 52(12):769-774.. View in PubMed
  • Empowering Community Health Workers to Increase Detection and Screening of Childhood Tuberculosis in a Rural Community of India. Indian J Public Health. 2025 Jul 01; 69(3):353-354.. View in PubMed
  • Fluoride in Drinking Water. Pediatrics. 2025 Jul 01; 156(1).. View in PubMed
  • A Novel Point-of-Care Rapid IgM Test for the Diagnosis of Congenital Syphilis. Sex Transm Dis. 2026 01 01; 53(1):44-48.. View in PubMed
  • Prevalence, symptomology, and correlates of curable sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Int J STD AIDS. 2025 09; 36(10):786-799.. View in PubMed
  • B-Cell Epitope Mapping of the Treponema pallidum Tp0435 Immunodominant Lipoprotein for Peptide-Based Syphilis Diagnostics. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 Jun 05; 15(11).. View in PubMed
  • Preference for Service Delivery for Long-Acting Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Infection Among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in South Africa and Botswana. AIDS Behav. 2025 Sep; 29(9):2963-2975.. View in PubMed