Sarah F. Kessler, PhD, MPH

Professional Background

Dr. Kessler completed her doctoral training in International Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research combines interests in reproductive health and HIV to improve safer childbearing for people living with HIV and optimize maternal and pediatric HIV prevention and treatment services.

• BA, Psychology, Loyola Univ. in New Orleans
• MPH, Reproductive Health, Univ. of California-Los Angele
• PhD, International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Family Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas

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Research

Overview

Dr. Kessler’s research focuses on developing, evaluating, and adapting mHealth and implementation strategies to improve health outcomes in low‑resource settings globally and locally. Her active studies include adapting the HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem) to improve early infant diagnosis of HIV and prevent perinatal transmission among pregnant women in Kenya. Lessons from this work have informed web‑based tracking systems to support cervical and breast cancer screening and treatment in low resource‑constrained settings. Her domestic research emphasizes community‑engaged approaches and training and deployment of community health workers to increase access to health and social services in rural and underserved Kansas communities.

• Implementing and Evaluating the Cancer Tracking System (CATSystem): A systems level intervention to improve Cervical Cancer screening, treatment referral and follow up in Kenya, NIH/NCI, PI
• COBRE: Implementation Science & Equity , NIH

• Finocchario-Kessler, S, Goggin, K, Wexler, C, Maloba, M, Gautney, B, Khamadi, S, Lwembe, R, Babu, S, Babu, M. 2023. Cost-effectiveness of incorporating the HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem) into standard of care early infant diagnosis of HIV services in Kenya
• Mokua, S, Maloba, M, Wexler, C, Goggin, K, Staggs, V, Mabachi, N, Maosa, N, Babu, S, Hurley, E, Finocchario-Kessler, S. 2022. Evaluating the efficacy of the HITSystem 2.1 to improve PMTCT retention and maternal viral suppression in Kenya: Study protocol of a cluster-randomized trial.. PloS one, 17 (7), e0263988
• Finocchario-Kessler, S, Maloba, M, Brown, M, Gautney, B, Goggin, K, Wexler, C, Mabachi, N, Odeny, B, Lagat, S, Koech, S, Dariotis, J., K, Odeny, T., A. 2019. Adapting the HIV Infant Tracking System to Support Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Kenya: Protocol for an Intervention Development Pilot Study in Two Hospitals.. JMIR research protocols, 8 (6), e13268
• Wexler, C, Kamau, Y, Halder, R, Brown, M, Maloba, M, Mabachi, N, Sandbulte, M, Gautney, B, Goggin, K, Odeny, T, Finocchario-Kessler, S. 2019. "Closing the Gap": Provider Recommendations for Implementing Birth Point of Care HIV Testing.. AIDS and behavior, 23 (4), 1073-1083
• Goggin, K, Mindry, D, Beyeza-Kashesya, J, Finocchario-Kessler, S, Wanyenze, R, Nabiryo, C, Wagner, G. 2014. "Our hands are tied up": current state of safer conception services suggests the need for an integrated care model.. Health care for women international, 35 (7-9), 990-1009
• Brown, Melinda, Maloba, May, Wexler, Catherine, Mabachi, Natabhona, Koech, Sharon, Lagat, Silas, Kamau, Yvonne, Goggin, Kathy, Gautney, Brad, Finocchario-Kessler, Sarah. 2021. Utility and acceptability of text messages for PMTCT: a qualitative assessment of user experiences
• Finocchario-Kessler, S, Wanyenze, R, Mindry, D, Beyeza-Kashesya, J, Goggin, K, Nabiryo, C, Wagner, G. 2014. "I may not say we really have a method, it is gambling work": knowledge and acceptability of safer conception methods among providers and HIV clients in Uganda.. Health care for women international, 35 (7-9), 896-917