Brooke Nichols
Profiles

Brooke Nichols

Associate Professor, Global Health - Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

(617) 414-1260
brooken@bu.edu
Crosstown Center
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Biography

Brooke Nichols, PhD, MSc, is an infectious disease mathematical modeller and health economist specializing in transmission dynamics, implementation modeling, and optimal resource allocation for pathogens including HIV, tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2, and other pathogens of pandemic potential. Her work seeks to minimize the health and economic impact of infectious diseases through innovative quantitative approaches.

Dr. Nichols leads a multi-continental research team of quantitative scientists and modellers who integrate insights from clinical science, epidemiology, health economics, and mathematical modeling to develop actionable, evidence-based strategies. Her team advances novel quantitative methods and adapts existing frameworks to design cost-effective, scalable interventions aimed at reducing transmission, morbidity, and mortality. Their work has significantly influenced national and global health policies across critical public health domains. This includes contributing to evidence to normative guidance on HIV prevention and care (e.g., optimizing pre-exposure prophylaxis, scaling up HIV self-testing, improving viral load monitoring, and enhancing differentiated service delivery models), informing global strategies for the optimal use of diagnostics during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (spanning mitigation, treatment, and surveillance), and guiding the development of World Health Organization’s Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for innovative diagnostics.

Education

  • Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, PhD
  • Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, PhD Field of Study: Public Health
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst, MS Field of Study: Epidemiology
  • Mount Holyoke College, BA Field of Study: International Relations

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHEP911
  • SPHPH867

Publications

  • Published on 3/1/2025

    Nichols BE, Geng EH, Moakley E, Phillips AN, Imai-Eaton JW, Stover J, Mudimu E, Grimsrud A. Rapid development of an online tracker to communicate the human impact of abruptly halting PEPFAR support. J Int AIDS Soc. 2025 Mar; 28(3):e26433. PMID: 40012206.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/1/2025

    Hendrickson C, Hirasen K, Mongwenyana C, Benade M, Bothma R, Smith C, Meyer J, Nichols BE, Long LC. Costs and outcomes of routine HIV oral pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation across different service delivery models and key populations in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet HIV. 2025 Feb; 12(2):e130-e142. PMID: 39914894.

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  • Published on 2/1/2025

    Jo Y, Rosen S, Nichols BE, Jamieson L, Lekodeba N, Horsburgh R. Integrated multi-month dispensing for HIV and hypertension in South Africa: A model of epidemiological impact and cost-effectiveness. J Int AIDS Soc. 2025 Feb; 28(2):e26413. PMID: 39939799.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 12/3/2024

    Nichols BE, de Nooy A, Cassim N, Hans L, da Silva MP, Chetty K, Grantz KH, Han AX, Phillips AN, Jamieson L, Scott LE, Stevens WS. Ten-year health impact, economic impact and return on investment of the South African molecular diagnostics programme for HIV, tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Dec 03; 9(12). PMID: 39631789.

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  • Published on 11/2/2024

    Bezuidenhout C, Long L, Nichols B, Meyer-Rath G, Fox MP, Olifant S, Theron G, Fiphaza K, Ruhwald M, Penn-Nicholson A, Fourie B, Medina-Marino A. USING SPUTUM AND TONGUE SWAB SPECIMENS FOR IN-HOME POINT-OF-CARE TARGETED UNIVERSAL TESTING FOR TB OF HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS: AN ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS. medRxiv. 2024 Nov 02. PMID: 39574838.

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  • Published on 10/18/2024

    Bezuidenhout C, Long L, Nichols B, Meyer-Rath G, Fox MP, Theron G, Fourie B, Olifant S, Penn-Nicholson A, Ruhwald M, Medina-Marino A. Sputum and tongue swab molecular testing for the in-home diagnosis of tuberculosis in unselected household contacts: a cost and cost-effectiveness analysis. medRxiv. 2024 Oct 18. PMID: 39484233.

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  • Published on 10/4/2024

    Hansen MA, Han AX, Chevalier JM, Klock E, Pandithakoralage H, Nooy A, Ockhuisen T, Girdwood SJ, Lekodeba NA, Khan S, Jenkins HE, Johnson CC, Sacks JA, Russell CA, Nichols BE. Cost-effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing at routine gatherings to minimize community-level infections in lower-middle income countries: A mathematical modeling study. PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0311198. PMID: 39365802.

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  • Published on 10/1/2024

    Rosen S, Lekodeba N, Sande L, Nichols B. Letter to the Editor: "Cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis of the implementation of differentiated service delivery models for HIV treatment in Mozambique: a modelling study": Resource reductions are not equal to cost savings. J Int AIDS Soc. 2024 Oct; 27(10):e26367. PMID: 39406476.

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  • Published on 9/10/2024

    Gleeson B, Ferreyra C, Palamountain K, Jacob ST, Spotswood N, Kissoon N, Nisar YB, Fitzgerald F, Murless-Collins S, Okomo U, Cross JH, Molyneux E, Piriou E, Iloh KK, Santorino D, Goldfarb D, Stevenson A, Kirby R, Nichols BE, Blumel B, Kelly-Cirino C, Walsh T, Lloyd L, Liaghati-Mobarhan S. A call to bridge the diagnostic gap: diagnostic solutions for neonatal sepsis in low- and middle-income countries. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Sep 10; 9(9). PMID: 39260829.

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  • Published on 7/1/2024

    Broger T, Marx FM, Theron G, Marais BJ, Nicol MP, Kerkhoff AD, Nathavitharana R, Huerga H, Gupta-Wright A, Kohli M, Nichols BE, Muyoyeta M, Meintjes G, Ruhwald M, Peeling RW, Pai NP, Pollock NR, Pai M, Cattamanchi A, Dowdy DW, Dewan P, Denkinger CM. Diagnostic yield as an important metric for the evaluation of novel tuberculosis tests: rationale and guidance for future research. Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Jul; 12(7):e1184-e1191. PMID: 38876764.

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