June 16, 2021

In April 2021, Ann Klassen, PhD, professor in the department of Community Health and Prevention at the Dornsife School of Public Health, and Hee-Soon Juon, MSN, PhD, of Thomas Jefferson University, were awarded a 4-year National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases R01 grant. Klassen and Juon will study the bio-psycho-social drivers of disparities in liver disease progression among Korean Americans with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Across the globe, HBV infection is the most common and threatening viral infection in the liver. HBV can lead to premature deaths caused by liver disease or cancer.  In the United States, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection and liver cancer caused by HBV among Asian Americans is one of the most serious health disparity issues that is often overlooked.

This research aims to build a better understanding of the multiple pathways that lead to disparities in chronic liver disease progression among this population and reduce adverse health outcomes.

Learn more about this research

Throughout Klassen's public health career, her research has focused on the social determinants of chronic disease disparities, and the implementation and evaluation of individual and contextual interventions to reduce patterns of excess burden. Her methodologic expertise includes GIS-based and spatial analysis, as well as qualitative and mixed methods for social science research.

Learn more about Klassen’s research and work