Senay Topal

Senay Topal serves as an Assistant Professor at the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP) within the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, conducting health services research focused on HIV care delivery and outcomes in government-run healthcare systems.

Her research centers on health economics of HIV care within single-payer systems, examining how medical evaluation mandates impact healthcare quality, expenditures, and chronic disease management. She also investigates infectious disease patterns—particularly respiratory tract infections—and antibiotic stewardship in HIV-positive populations, analyzing disparities in preventive care utilization and health status awareness.

Recent publications reveal consistent methodological approaches using cohort studies and health economics modeling. The 2024 Health Economics paper demonstrates how HIV evaluation mandates affect resource allocation in single-payer settings, while the 2023 Open Forum Infectious Diseases study quantifies respiratory infection disparities between HIV-positive and negative cohorts, highlighting systemic gaps in antibiotic prescribing.

Dr. Topal currently leads an NIAID-funded project (2024-2026) comparing cost-effectiveness of HIV care between the Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration, focusing on QALYs and comorbidities. Her work occurs within IDCRP—a military-focused research consortium conducting collaborative studies on infectious diseases relevant to U.S. service members and veterans.