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Thersa Sweet, PhD, MPH (she/her)

Theresa Sweet Headshot

Associate Teaching Professor of Epidemiology
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
267.359.6215
ts36@drexel.edu
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Degrees

PhD, Epidemiology, University of Michigan
MPH, Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology, University of Michigan
BS, Biology, University of Michigan

Bio

Dr. Sweet received her MPH and PhD from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, in Molecular Epidemiology. Her work prior to joining Drexel University's School of Public Health was primarily in virology, molecular biology, and cancer biology. Since arriving at Drexel, she has been involved in epidemiologic studies involving HIV risk in sexual minorities. She has conducted analyses to identify increased rates of adverse mental health conditions among MSM who have been sexually abused as children—and linking these mediators to incident HIV infection or other STIs in MSM study participants.

Dr. Sweet has experience teaching epidemiology, biology, virology and pathology at all levels. She currently teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs and was involved in expanding the school’s undergraduate courses.

Articles co-authored by Dr. Sweet have appeared in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cell Death & Differentiation, Journal of Cellular Physiology, Viruses, and other publications.

Research Interests

  • Cancer
  • Health Disparities
  • Infectious Diseases

Publications

Del Valle L, Sweet T, Parker-Struckoff A, Perez-Liz G, Piña-Oviedo S. Activation of the anti-apoptotic Survivin promoter by JCPyV T-Antigen; Role in the development of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy. Viruses. 12(11), 1253. 2020.

Sweet T, Polanski M, and Welles SL.  Mediation of HIV/STI Risk by Mental Health Disorders Among Persons Living in the US Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 62(1), 81-89. 2013.

Sweet, T., & Welles, S. L. Associations of sexual identity or same-sex behaviors with history of childhood sexual abuse and HIV/STI risk in the United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, 59(4), 400-408, 2012.

Gualco E, Urbanska K, Perez-Liz G, Sweet T, Peruzzi F, Reiss K, and Del Valle L. IGF-1R dependent activation of Survivin is required for T-Antigen mediated protection from apoptosis and proliferation of neural progenitors. Cell Death & Differentiation; 17 (3): 439-451, 2010.

Deshmane SL, Mukerjee R, Fan S, Del Valle L, Michiels C, Sweet T, Rom I, Khalili K, Rappaport J, Amini S, Sawaya BE, Activation of the Oxidative Stress Pathway by HIV-1 Vpr Leads to Induction of Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1{alpha} Expression. J Biol Chem 284:17. 2009.

Sweet T, Yen W, Khalili K, Amini S. Evidence for Involvement of NFBP in Processing of rRNA. J Cell Physiol.;214(2):381-8, 2008.

Pina-Oviedo, Urbanska K, Radhakrishnan S, Sweet T, Reiss K, Khalili K, Del Valle L. Effects of JC Virus Infection on Anti-Apoptotis Protein Survivin in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy. Am J Path. 170(4). 2007.

Sweet T, Sawaya BE, Khalili K, Amini S. Interplay between NFBP and NF-kB modulates the Tat interaction of the LTR. J Cell Phys. 204:375-380. 2005.

Sweet TM, Maassab HF, Herlocher ML. Reverse genetics studies attenuation of the CA A/AA/6/60 influenza Virus: the role of the matrix gene. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 58:509-515. 2004.

View Dr. Sweet's complete list of publications on PubMed

Courses Taught Include:

EPI 561 Pathophysiology

PBHL 301: Introductory Epidemiology. 2014-present

PBHL 321/EPI 569: Outbreak Investigations. 2015-present

EPI 555/PBHL 450: Vaccine Design, Testing & Implementation

Vaccines Micro-Credential