Sarah M. Kattakuzhy

Sarah M. Kattakuzhy, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine (secondary appointment in Psychiatry) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She concurrently serves as Associate Director of the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine and Co-Director of the Research Initiative on Infectious Disease and Substance Use Disorder. Based in Baltimore, she leads federally funded implementation-science trials that integrate hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in high-risk urban populations.

Education & Training

• BS, Biology & BS, Psychology — Virginia Commonwealth University (2000–2004)
• MD — Eastern Virginia Medical School (2005–2009)
• Residency, Internal Medicine — George Washington University (2010–2012)
• Chief Resident, Internal Medicine — George Washington University (2012–2013)
• MPH, Epidemiology — University of Maryland School of Medicine (2018–2022)

Research Interests
Dr Kattakuzhy’s work focuses on implementation science approaches to improving HCV care among people with opioid use disorder. Her portfolio spans task-shifting HCV treatment to nonspecialist providers, evaluating short-duration direct-acting antiviral regimens, and integrating harm-reduction services with MOUD. She has particular expertise in community-based clinical trials, mixed-methods research, and health-services interventions for marginalized populations including transgender individuals and people who inject drugs.

Publication Trends
Across more than 50 peer-reviewed publications (2014–2025), her papers cluster in three thematic domains: (1) clinical efficacy and real-world effectiveness of abbreviated and task-shifted HCV therapy; (2) intersection of infectious diseases (HCV, HIV, soft-tissue infections) with substance-use disorders; and (3) health-equity research addressing stigma, retention in care, and suicide/overdose risk among people with OUD.

Scientific Awards & Honors
While no specific awards are enumerated in the source text, her leadership roles in NIH-funded studies (ANCHOR, ASCEND, SYNERGY) and invited commentaries in high-impact journals (e.g., Annals of Internal Medicine, Clinical Infectious Diseases) highlight national recognition.

Research Teams & Grants
Dr Kattakuzhy directs the Baltimore site of the Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress’ Research Initiative in Infectious Disease and Substance Use (RIIS). She is Principal/Senior Investigator on multiple federal grants including ANCHOR (integrated HCV-MOUD-harm-reduction trial) and ASCEND (task-shifting HCV treatment to community providers). Collaborators span the Institute of Human Virology, NIAID, and local community clinics.