Benjamin P. Linas

Dr. Benjamin P. Linas is a Professor of Infectious Diseases at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. As an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center (BMC), he directs the HIV/HCV core of the Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorders, HCV, and HIV, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in collaboration with Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, and Miami.

Dr. Linas received his MD from New York University School of Medicine, an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health, and a BA from Yale University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital (2001-2004) and Infectious Disease fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School (2005-2008).

A national leader in hepatitis-C virus research, Dr. Linas specializes in comparative- and cost-effectiveness analysis using computational biology, clinical epidemiology, and health economics methods. His work focuses on HCV/HIV co-infection among people who inject drugs, developing sophisticated network simulation models to understand transmission dynamics and evaluate elimination strategies. His research bridges mathematical modeling with practical public health applications, particularly in the context of the opioid epidemic.

Dr. Linas's publication record demonstrates consistent focus on hepatitis C elimination strategies across diverse populations. His recent work combines mathematical modeling with cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate testing frequency, treatment access, and prevention interventions. He has made significant methodological contributions through metamodeling approaches that allow for policy simulation with multivariate outcomes, enhancing the utility of research for decision-makers.

Dr. Linas maintains an excellent track record of securing substantial NIH and CDC funding, including multiple R01 grants from NIDA, T32 training grants, and P30 center grants. He serves as Principal Investigator on major studies including 'Researching Effective Strategies to Prevent Opioid Death (RESPOND)' and the 'BU Clinical HIV/AIDS Research Training Program (BU-CHART).' His work directly informs national guidelines for hepatitis C screening, testing, and treatment, particularly in high-risk populations.

Through the Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions, Dr. Linas leads a collaborative research effort examining the economic aspects of treating substance use disorders, HCV, and HIV. His team includes epidemiologists, economists, mathematicians, and clinicians working together to address complex public health challenges at the intersection of infectious diseases and substance use disorders.