Katrina Ortblad

Katrina Ortblad serves as Assistant Professor in the Cancer Prevention Program within the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She also holds an Affiliate Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington.

Her educational background includes a ScD in Global Health and Population from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2018), an MPH in Global Health Metrics and Evaluation from the University of Washington (2013), and a BA in Human Biology with Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College (2010). She completed postdoctoral research at the University of Washington Department of Global Health in 2020.

Dr. Ortblad specializes in implementation science focused on improving health access equity through differentiated models of HIV service delivery in high-prevalence settings. Her research integrates epidemiology, economics, public policy, psychology, and implementation science methodologies. She primarily investigates innovative models for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery in Africa, applying qualitative research and stakeholder engagement to refine these models before testing them in pilot studies and implementation trials.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on optimizing PrEP delivery through HIV self-testing, with studies showing that six-month PrEP dispensing supported by interim HIV self-testing can halve clinic visits while maintaining equivalent HIV testing, PrEP refilling, and adherence compared to standard quarterly clinic visits. Her work particularly emphasizes improving access for young women in Kenya.

Dr. Ortblad's research program includes several ongoing projects in Kenya: a randomized trial exploring HIV self-testing to decrease PrEP clinic visits; a study designing and testing pharmacy-based PrEP delivery; and research on peer PrEP referral with HIV self-testing to increase PrEP uptake among young women. Her work has significant implications for public health policy in resource-limited settings.