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

  • Knowledge and Barriers to HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Southern California. AIDS Educ Prev. 2025 04; 37(2):126-141.. View in PubMed
  • Barriers to Hepatitis C Treatment Among Los Angeles County Residents. J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Sep; 40(13):3287-3288.. View in PubMed
  • Effect of antenatal Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae screening on postdelivery prevalence and vertical transmission in Gaborone, Botswana: findings from an exploratory study. Sex Transm Infect. 2025 03 24; 101(2):81-87.. View in PubMed
  • Prevalence and Factors Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infections Among People who Inject Drugs in the San Diego-Tijuana Border Region. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Apr; 12(4):ofaf171.. View in PubMed
  • Online Peer Support for Youth at Higher Risk of or Living with HIV: A Qualitative Content Analysis. AIDS Behav. 2025 Jul; 29(7):2135-2143.. View in PubMed
  • Patterns of Congenital Syphilis in a Large Public Hospital: Maternal Risk Factors and Infant Outcomes. Sex Transm Dis. 2025 Jul 01; 52(7):395-401.. View in PubMed
  • Is Single-Dose Benzathine Penicillin G Adequate for Late Latent Syphilis? Sex Transm Dis. 2025 Aug 01; 52(8):441-442. Kojima N, Peters R, Klausner JD . . View in PubMed
  • Project HCV Connect: Using a County Surveillance Registry to Link Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Residents to Cure-Los Angeles County, April 2023 to March 2024. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2025 Jul-Aug 01; 31(4):610-613.. View in PubMed
  • Treatment diversification is an essential strategy for mitigating antimicrobial resistance. Health Aff Sch. 2025 Mar; 3(3):qxaf032.. View in PubMed
  • Variability of antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria species supports its use as a marker of excessive antimicrobial consumption – reflections from the results of a four-country study. Int J Infect Dis. 2025 May; 154:107870.. View in PubMed