Debbie Cheng
Profiles

Debbie M. Cheng, ScD

Professor, Biostatistics - Boston University School of Public Health

617-358-2525
dmcheng@bu.edu
Crosstown Center - 319
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Biography

Debbie M. Cheng is Assistant Dean of Data Science and the founding Executive Director of the Center for Health Data Science at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is a Professor of Biostatistics with a research focus on applied statistics and the design and analysis of clinical trials. She collaborates with investigators worldwide on multiple studies in the areas of substance abuse and HIV. She is Associate Director of the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and Co-Director of its Biostatistics Core. Dr. Cheng is also Director of the Biostatistics and Data Management Core for the International URBAN ARCH Center, which aims to examine the impact of alcohol on multiple aspects of the TB disease continuum. Dr. Cheng is the lead statistician for the Massachusetts site of the HEALing Communities Study, a multi-site cluster randomized trial aimed at reducing opioid-related overdose deaths in communities across four different states, the largest study of its kind in addiction science. She has been an instructor for Introduction to Statistical Computing (BS723) and the Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials (BS722).

Other Positions

  • Assistant Dean of Data Science - Boston University School of Public Health
  • Executive Director, Center for Health Data Science - Boston University School of Public Health
  • Faculty, Medicine - Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Education

  • Harvard University, ScD Field of Study: Biostatistics
  • Northwestern University, BS Field of Study: Industrial Engineering

Websites

Publications

  • Published on 2/11/2025

    Fuster D, So-Armah K, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Patts G, Lioznov D, Gnatienko N, Long MT, Freiberg MS, Tindle H, Samet JH. Is There an Association Between Cigarette Smoking and Advanced Liver Fibrosis in Smokers with HIV, Heavy Drinking and High Prevalence of HCV? J Clin Med. 2025 Feb 11; 14(4). PMID: 40004700.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/10/2024

    Freeman PR, Walley AY, Winhusen TJ, Oga EA, Villani J, Hunt T, Chandler RK, Oyler DR, Reilly B, Gelberg K, Douglas C, Lyons MS, Holloway J, Vandergrift NA, Adams JW, Asman K, Baker TJ, Brancato CJ, Cheng DM, Childerhose JE, David JL, Feaster DJ, Gilbert L, Glasgow LM, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Knott C, Knudsen HK, Lofwall MR, Marks KR, McMullan JT, Oser CB, Roberts MF, Shoben AB, Stein MD, Walters ST, Watson J, Zarkin GA, Jackson RD, Samet JH, Walsh SL, Bassel NE. Effect of the Communities That HEAL Intervention on Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution: A Cluster-Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Trial. Am J Public Health. 2025 Jan; 115(1):83-94. PMID: 39388670.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/14/2024

    Cheng DM, Hogan JW. The Sense and Sensibility of Sensitivity Analyses. N Engl J Med. 2024 Sep 19; 391(11):972-974. PMID: 39282939.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/16/2024

    Samet JH, El-Bassel N, Winhusen TJ, Jackson RD, Oga EA, Chandler RK, Villani J, Freisthler B, Adams J, Aldridge A, Angerame A, Babineau DC, Bagley SM, Baker TJ, Balvanz P, Barbosa C, Barocas J, Battaglia TA, Beard DD, Beers D, Blevins D, Bove N, Bridden C, Brown JL, Bush HM, Bush JL, Caldwell R, Calver K, Calvert D, Campbell ANC, Carpenter J, Caspar R, Chassler D, Chaya J, Cheng DM, Cunningham CO, Dasgupta A, David JL, Davis A, Dean T, Drainoni ML, Eggleston B, Fanucchi LC, Feaster DJ, Fernandez S, Figueroa W, Freedman DA, Freeman PR, Freiermuth CE, Friedlander E, Gelberg KH, Gibson EB, Gilbert L, Glasgow L, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Gomori S, Gruss DE, Gulley J, Gutnick D, Hall ME, Harger Dykes N, Hargrove SL, Harlow K, Harris A, Harris D, Helme DW, Holloway J, Hotchkiss J, Huang T, Huerta TR, Hunt T, Hyder A, Ingram VL, Ingram T, Kauffman E, Kimball JL, Kinnard EN, Knott C, Knudsen HK, Konstan MW, Kosakowski S, Larochelle MR, Leaver HM, LeBaron PA, Lefebvre RC, Levin FR, Lewis N, Lewis N, Lofwall MR, Lounsbury DW, Luster JE, Lyons MS, Mack A, Marks KR, Marquesano S, Mauk R, McAlearney AS, McConnell K, McGladrey ML, McMullan J, Miles J, Munoz Lopez R, Nelson A, Neufeld JL, Newman L, Nguyen TQ, Nunes EV, Oller DA, Oser CB, Oyler DR, Pagnano S, Parran TV, Powell J, Powers K, Ralston W, Ramsey K, Rapkin BD, Reynolds JG, Roberts MF, Robertson W, Rock P, Rodgers E, Rodriguez S, Rudorf M, Ryan S, Salsberry P, Salvage M, Sabounchi N, Saucier M, Savitzky C, Schackman B, Schady E, Seiber EE, Shadwick A, Shoben A, Slater MD, Slavova S, Speer D, Sprunger J, Starbird LE, Staton M, Stein MD, Stevens-Watkins DJ, Stopka TJ, Sullivan A, Surratt HL, Sword Cruz R, Talbert JC, Taylor JL, Thompson KL, Vandergrift N, Vickers-Smith RA, Vietze DJ, Walker DM, Walley AY, Walters ST, Weiss R, Westgate PM, Wu E, Young AM, Zarkin GA, Walsh SL. Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Trial to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths. N Engl J Med. 2024 Sep 19; 391(11):989-1001. PMID: 38884347.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/26/2024

    Tsui JI, Rossi SL, Cheng DM, Bendiks S, Vetrova M, Blokhina E, Winter M, Gnatienko N, Backonja M, Bryant K, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Pilot RCT comparing low-dose naltrexone, gabapentin and placebo to reduce pain among people with HIV with alcohol problems. PLoS One. 2024; 19(2):e0297948. PMID: 38408060.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 2/5/2024

    Stopka TJ, Babineau DC, Gibson EB, Knott CE, Cheng DM, Villani J, Wai JM, Blevins D, David JL, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Lofwall MR, Massatti R, DeFiore-Hyrmer J, Lyons MS, Fanucchi LC, Harris DR, Talbert J, Hammerslag L, Oller D, Balise RR, Feaster DJ, Soares W, Zarkin GA, Glasgow L, Oga E, McCarthy J, D'Costa L, Chahine R, Gomori S, Dalvi N, Shrestha S, Garner C, Shadwick A, Salsberry P, Konstan MW, Freisthler B, Winhusen J, El-Bassel N, Samet JH, Walsh SL. Impact of the Communities That HEAL Intervention on Buprenorphine-Waivered Practitioners and Buprenorphine Prescribing: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis of the HCS Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Feb 05; 7(2):e240132. PMID: 38386322.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 12/29/2023

    Kimmel SD, Samet JH, Cheng DM, Vetrova M, Idrisov B, Rossi SL, Rateau L, Astone K, Michals A, Sisson E, Blokhina E, Milet-Carty N, Bovell-Ammon BJ, Gnatienko N, Truong V, Krupitsky E, Lunze K. Stigma and other correlates of sharing injection equipment among people with HIV in St. Petersburg, Russia. Glob Public Health. 2024 Jan; 19(1):2296009. PMID: 38158724.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 12/7/2023

    Odokonyero RF, Fatch R, Emenyonu NI, Cheng DM, Ngabirano C, Adong J, Muyindike WR, Nakasujja N, Camlin CS, Kamya M, Hahn JA. The Relationship between Age at Initiation of Regular Drinking of Alcohol and Viral Suppression Status, and Depression Symptoms Among People Living with HIV in South-Western Uganda. AIDS Behav. 2024 Apr; 28(4):1415-1422. PMID: 38060110.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 11/1/2023

    Raifman J, Cheng DM, Skinner A, Hatzenbuehler ML, Mayer KH, Stein MD. State same-sex marriage policies and pre-exposure prophylaxis implementation among men who have sex with men in the United States. J Int AIDS Soc. 2023 Nov; 26(11):e26180. PMID: 37997001.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/5/2023

    Raj A, Gnatienko N, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Dey AK, Wagman JA, Toussova O, Truong V, Rateau L, Lunze K, Krupitsky E, Samet JH. Provider-patient experiences and HIV care utilization among people living with HIV who inject drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Int J Qual Health Care. 2023 Oct 05; 35(4). PMID: 37642351.

     Read At: PubMed

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