Kristin Banek

Dr. Kristin Banek serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where she leads research on malaria epidemiology and global health implementation science in sub-Saharan Africa and fragile state contexts.

Her academic credentials include:

• BA in Biology and German from St. Olaf College
• MPH in International Health and Development from Tulane University
• PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Dr. Banek specializes in optimizing malaria interventions through rigorous field studies measuring treatment effectiveness, adherence behaviors, and transmission dynamics. Her work spans Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Myanmar border regions, focusing on real-world implementation challenges in post-conflict settings and resource-limited environments. She combines epidemiological surveillance with program evaluation to strengthen malaria control strategies and health system responses.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• NIH Loan Repayment Program Awards (2020, 2023)
• Thrasher Foundation Early Career Award (2020)
• American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship (2013)

Dr. Banek secures substantial research funding from NIH and private foundations like the Thrasher Foundation to support longitudinal studies on antimalarial adherence and treatment-seeking behaviors, directly informing national malaria control programs in endemic regions.

She collaborates with Tulane's Institute for Disease Elimination, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Sciences (IDEEL) and maintains partnerships with UNC Chapel Hill's Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases for field research in Central Africa.