Jennifer O. Lam , PhD, MPH

jennifer.o.lam@kp.org

Jennifer Lam, PhD, MPH, is a Research Scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. Dr. Lam conducts research to better understand the health needs of older adults with HIV infection. Using electronic health records and HIV registries at Kaiser Permanente, she identifies factors that influence the development and progression of various health conditions in this population, with the overall goal of informing prevention and care strategies that promote health and wellbeing.

Dr. Lam’s current research primarily focuses on cognitive impairment, dementia, and geriatric syndromes such as frailty in people with HIV infection. She is particularly interested in examining the impact of HIV on cognitive function and the relationship between cognitive impairment and other aging-related conditions. She is the recipient of a K01 career development award from the NIH to develop a dementia prediction and risk stratification tool for use in HIV primary care. Additionally, Dr. Lam has ongoing collaborations with other investigators on studies of cardiovascular disease, liver disease, substance use, and chronic disease management for healthier aging.

Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Lam worked on HIV prevention clinical trials as well as infectious disease surveillance at local, state, and international public health agencies. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She went on to obtain a Master’s in Public Health with an emphasis in infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a PhD in Epidemiology and International Health, also at Johns Hopkins University.

Current Positions

Research Scientist, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Section Affiliations

Infectious Diseases

Primary Research Interests

HIV and aging
Dementia and cognitive impairment
Geriatric syndromes and frailty
Infection-associated cancers
Infectious disease epidemiology

Studies

Multiregional partnership to evaluate cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults with HIV infection

The goal of this project is to establish a multiregional partnership to study cognitive impairment and dementia in people with HIV infection. We will launch this collaborative effort by constructing a research cohort for predictive modeling of dementia in the HIV setting, with data pooled from multiple Kaiser Permanente regions to increase diversity and ensure research findings accurately represent dementia risk across population subgroups. Our long-term vision is that this cohort will facilitate ongoing research on care delivery and outcomes related to dementia and aging in the growing population of older people with HIV infection.

Investigator: Lam, Jennifer

Funder: Garfield Memorial Fund

Optimizing identification of frailty among older adults with HIV infection

This study will: 1) describe the incidence, prevalence, and trends of frailty in people with and without HIV infection at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), 2) quantify the contribution of sociodemographic, behavioral, and comorbidity-related factors to frailty, and 3) evaluate the use of an electronic health record-based frailty index to predict frailty-related clinical events. This study will be conducted in an established KPNC cohort of people with HIV and matched uninfected comparators.

Investigator: Lam, Jennifer

Funder: KP National Office of Community Health

Electronic Health Record-Based Dementia Prediction for HIV Primary Care

The goal of this K01 Career Development Award is to receive mentored training on the development of risk prediction models for dementia in people with HIV using electronic health records data.
The project will quantify the contribution of HIV- and non-HIV-related factors to risk of dementia; develop and validate a model to predict incident dementia in people with HIV; and investigate strategies to optimize translation and implementation of research findings into clinical care settings.

Investigator: Lam, Jennifer

Funder: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Neurocognitive Impairment and Dementia in People With and Without HIV

People with HIV infection are at increased risk for dementia, possibly due to the combined effects of HIV-associated inflammation and traditional dementia risk factors such as chronic drug use and cerebrovascular disease. With the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment, severe forms of HIV-associated dementia are now uncommon, but milder forms of neurocognitive impairment affect up to 50% of people living with HIV. In preparation for future investigations on cognitive impairments in people aging with HIV, we are conducting a study to establish baseline knowledge on: 1) The prevalence of neurocognitive impairment and dementia, and 2) Risk factors for neurocognitive disorders among Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients with and without HIV infection.

Investigator: Lam, Jennifer

Funder: Northern California Community Benefit Programs

Publications

Undiagnosed Cognitive Impairment and Impact on Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among People With HIV Infection in Primary Care

Authors: Lam, Jennifer O;Hou, Craig E;Gilsanz, Paola;Lee, Catherine;Lea, Alexandra N;Satre, Derek D;Silverberg, Michael J

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Jun;10(6):ofad284. Epub 2023-05-20.

Jennifer O. Lam , PhD, MPH

Current Positions

Section Affiliations

Primary Research Interests

Studies

Multiregional partnership to evaluate cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults with HIV infection

Optimizing identification of frailty among older adults with HIV infection

Electronic Health Record-Based Dementia Prediction for HIV Primary Care

Neurocognitive Impairment and Dementia in People With and Without HIV

Publications

Undiagnosed Cognitive Impairment and Impact on Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among People With HIV Infection in Primary Care

Age group differences in substance use, social support, and physical and mental health concerns among people living with HIV two years after receiving primary care-based alcohol treatment

Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening in Key Populations of Persons Living with HIV

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation and Care Delivery for People With Newly Diagnosed HIV in an Integrated Healthcare System

Variation in Heart Failure Risk by HIV Severity and Sex in People With HIV Infection

Comparison of dementia incidence and prevalence between individuals with and without HIV infection in primary care from 2000 to 2016

Cancer in people with and without hepatitis C virus infection: comparison of risk before and after introduction of direct-acting antivirals

Comparison of dementia risk after age 50 between individuals with and without HIV infection

The relationship of smoking and unhealthy alcohol use to the HIV care continuum among people with HIV in an integrated health care system

Health System-Based Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening and Treatment Comparing Demographically-Matched Participants With and Without HIV

Smoking and cessation treatment among persons with and without HIV in a U.S. integrated health system

Effectiveness of ‘catch-up’ human papillomavirus vaccination to prevent cervical neoplasia in immunosuppressed and non-immunosuppressed women

Comparison of Overall and Comorbidity-Free Life Expectancy Between Insured Adults With and Without HIV Infection, 2000-2016

Life Expectancy of Insured People With and Without Hepatitis C Virus Infection, 2007-2017

Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use among Primary Care Patients with HIV: the Health and Motivation Randomized Clinical Trial

Colorectal Cancer Screening in People With and Without HIV in an Integrated Health Care Setting

Early outcomes of a high-resolution anoscopy-based anal cancer screening program among people with HIV enrolled in an integrated healthcare system

Acceptability of high-resolution anoscopy for anal cancer screening in HIV-infected patients

Effectiveness of catch-up human papillomavirus vaccination on incident cervical neoplasia in a US health-care setting: a population-based case-control study

Disparities in Initiation of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in an Insured Population

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